Erne Gaels v Kilcoo LIVE: Updates from Armagh as Kilcoo take on Erne Gaels for a spot in the Ulster final
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship semi-final: Erne Gaels (Fermanagh) 1-10 Kilcoo (Down) 4-12TWO goals in either half saw Kilcoo canter into another Ulster final with an 11-point win over a determined Erne Gaels side that gave all they had but couldn’t quite match the quality of the Magpies.There were three in it at the interval but Kilcoo, beaten finalists last year, pulled away in the second half and goals from Shealan Johnston and Ceilum Doherty sealed a predictable win for the Down champions.Doherty was involved in the first score of the game when his pass found Paul Devlin, who flashed a low finish into the Gaels’ net.Read more:Shealan Johnston cut inside his marker to add another but the Gaels got their hands on the kickout and Ryan Lyons, not long home after celebrating Thomas McCafferty’s wedding in Rome, booted a two-pointer to open their account.At the other end, Oisin Kelm’s up-and-under wasn’t dealt with by the Kilcoo defence and Brian Mullin’s point left one in it after 11 minutes.The Magpies moved further ahead when Anthony Morgan was fouled, and the reliable Devlin made a difficult free look easy.Oisin Kelm wriggled through a tackle to slip Michael Og McGarrigle in for a score, but Kilcoo’s midfield replied when Anthony Morgan cancelled it out.The Gaels kept the ball efficiently and patiently as Kilcoo retreated into their defensive zone, but their extended period of possession came to nothing as Aogan Kelm’s shot drifted just wide, and Shane Rooney registered his club’s fourth wide (as well as three dropped short) in their next attack.Devlin almost made them pay for their wastefulness when he broke through a defence that was, as one reporter quipped, “as open as Bundoran on a Bank Holiday weekend”.Devlin’s shot hit the post, the defence stayed open as Kilcoo won the kickout and Eugene Branagan strolled through and picked his spot into the net.Miceal Rooney added a point and suddenly Kilcoo had a six-point lead with five minutes left in the half.A Shane Rooney free clawed one back and, in injury-time, Barry McCann launched a two-pointer over the black spot to reduce the arrears at the break to three (2-4 to 0-7).The Gaels beefed up their forward line with the introduction of Seamus Ryder (who’d scored the winner in the county final) for the second half.However, a Lyons shot fell short, and although Dan McCann pulled one back, the Gaels had to force the pace, and Kilcoo were content to sit back and pick them off with scores from Callum Rogers (who blotted out the influence of Ultan Kelm) and Doherty on the counter.Shane Rooney’s shot was plucked from under the bar brilliantly by Niall Kane, and Ryan Johnston played a one-two with Tiernan Fettes to add another point for the Mournemen.Ryan McEvoy got a meaty fist to the kickout, and the ball was played out to Johnston, who scored his second in as many minutes to leave Kilcoo 2-9 to 0-8 in front and when Shealan Johnston seized on a loose short kickout and stroked home his club’s third goal, that was that.A Eugene Branagan point followed before Doherty’s shot (perhaps an attempted point) dropped into the net. Youngsters Jack Devlin and Barra McEvoy both got on the scoresheet and Down manager Conor Laverty got a run-out as the game petered out, but not before Seamus Ryder turned in the square and sent a low shot past Kane.A moment to remember for the burly forward on a forgettable night for his club as Kilcoo go marching on.Erne Gaels: B Ryder; S Mimna, M Gilfeddar, D O’Reilly; O Kelm, J McCann, B McCann 0-2tp; M Og McGarrigle 0-1, R Lyons 0-4 (0-4tp); B Mullin 0-1, D McCann 0-1, A Kelm; S Rooney 0-1f, U Kelm, O JohnstonSubs: S Ryder 1-0 for McCarrigle (HT), P Johnston for Mimna (46), McCarrigle for D McCann (49), E Og Magee for Gilfeddar (55)Kilcoo: N Kane; T Fettes, R McEvoy, N Branagan; M Rooney 0-1, D Branagan, C Rogers 0-1; Aaron Morgan, Anthony Morgan 0-2; C Doherty 1-1, R Johnston 0-2, S Johnston 1-1; P Devlin 1-1 (0-1f), J Johnston, E Branagan 1-1Subs: S Og McCusker for J Johnston (46), L Ward for Anthony Morgan (49), J Devlin 0-1 for R Johnston (55), B McEvoy 0-1f for S Johnston (55), C Laverty for Devlin (57)Referee: D Boylan (Monaghan)
