Kilcoo canter to sixth Down title in a row

Burren's Ryan Magill and Aaron Cole tackle Eugene Branagan of Kilcoo. Pic ©INPHO/Leah Scholes

Down SFC Final: Kilcoo 1-10 Burren 0-4 

Kilcoo secured their sixth county title in a row in Pairc Esler on Sunday with a nine-point win over a Burren side who lacked any real battling qualities in this final that was by no means a classic.

Kilcoo were in complete control from start to finish with only one of Burren's four scores from play the tale of the game. Kilcoo weren't much better with two from play and the goal late on but they got the job done, with an Ulster Championship clash against the Cavan Champions next on the cards.

In a repeat of last year's Down final, there was no love lost from the start between the south Down rivals, with a couple of yellow cards handed out in the second minute for Burren's Liam Kerr and Kilcoo's Shealan Johnston before the St Mary's side opened the scoring with a converted free by their goalkeeper Donal O'Hare.

That signalled a half that ended 0-7 to 0-2 in favour of Kilcoo with just one of those scores from play after 28 minutes.

Both of Burren's points came off the boot of O'Hare from frees but the second was in the eighth minute and it was all Kilcoo for the rest of the half.

Burrren were having success with their long kickouts to the left side of the field, but not when they got to the final third and by the second quarter the Magpies were on to the tactic and became more efficient in closing the opposition down and their turnovers increased dramatically.

Still, it was a hard watch for the punters in Pairc Esler, with many no doubt wishing the new GAA rules were already in effect.

Paul Devlin got the scoreboard moving for the Magpies in the fifth minute from a free and traded frees between O'Hare and Devlin made it 0-2 apiece after nine minutes.

That was when the reigning champions pulled away however, with frees converted by Ryan McEvoy, goalkeeper Niall Kane and a mark from Miceal Rooney, while Burren struggled to hold onto the ball and string anything meaningful together.

Johnston's point from play on 28 minutes woke the Kilcoo crowd up, with the familiar chants breaking out.

They grew stronger seconds before the half-time whistle with the first goal chance of the afternoon. Jerome Johnston played the ball into the Burren square for Darryl Branagan in front of goal, but Peter Fegan got their first and it remained 0-6 to 0-2 at the break.

Burren almost nabbed their first from play at the start of the second half but Odhran Murdock pulled his shot wide but there was a bit more urgency in the St Mary's side, who were managing to get into danger areas.

McEvoy increased Kilcoo's lead to six with a free on 36 minutes. It was Burren's turn to almost nab a goal seconds later, with O'Hare down from his goal playing the ball in for Ryan Treanor, but McEvoy leaped high and bravely palmed down into his keeper Kane's arms. Wides from Liam Kerr, Malachai McAvoy and O'Hare followed, before one of Burren's rare solid team moves resulted in a foul and Kerr converting the free.

The same player scored Burren's first from play on 54 minutes to make it 0-8 to 0-4 but two minutes later Devlin cancelled that out with a well-taken score.

Burren were reduced to 13 men as full-time approached with Danny Magill black carded for a foul on McEvoy and Kerr with a second yellow for a foul on Shealan Johnston. It mattered little in the end however, as the Burren supporters were already heading for the exit and the Kilcoo fans readied themselves for another celebration.

Anthony Morgan added another Kilcoo point in stoppage time and the icing on the cake came when Miceal Rooney set up Darryl Branagan for a riffled shot to the roof of the net, cementing the Magpies as the Kingpins of Down.

Scorers for Kilcoo: D Branagan (1-0), P Devlin (0-3,2f), R McEvoy (0-2,2f), N Kane (0-1,f), C Rooney (0-1,1f), M Rooney (0-1,1m), A Morgan (0-1), J Johnston (0-1) 

Scorers for Burren: D O'Hare (0-2,2f), L Kerr (0-2,1f)

KILCOO: N Kane; N Branagan, S Og McCusker, C Rogers; M Rooney, D Branagan, E Branagan; A Morgan, R McEvoy; C Rooney, A Morgan, S Johnston; J Johnston, P Devlin, C Doherty 

Subs: J Devlin for C Rooney (38), C Laverty for McCusker (55), N Rogers for Devlin (60+5) 

BURREN: D O'Hare; P Burns, G McGovern, M McAvoy; P McCarthy, R Magill, P Fegan; A Cole, O Murdock; R Treanor, L Kerr, C McGovern; D Magill, N Toner, R McGrath 

Subs: R Cunningham for McGovern (34), D McEntee for Toner (34). R Kelly for Treanor (41), K McKernan for Cole (48), C Toner for McAvoy (42) 

Referee: Micheal Moore