Five-goal Kilcoo blitz Scotstown to reach Ulster final

BLITZ: Scotstown's Darragh Murray tackles Shealan Johnston of Kilcoo in the Ulster Club SFC semi-final. Picture: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes

Ulster Club SFC semi-final: Kilcoo 5-10 Scotstown 0-14 

Kilcoo’s eight-minute goal blitz either side of half-time sent last year’s beaten finalists crashing out of the Ulster Club SFC at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.

The Down men seized control to qualify for a fourth provincial decider in six years, totally dominant after the floodgates opened, forcing the Monaghan champions to abandon the game plan and desperately chase what proved to be a lost cause.

Two Miceal Rooney strikes and goals from Christopher Rooney and Ceilum Doherty, along with Shane Carey’s own goal, presented Karl Lacey’s side with the perfect opportunity to play this game on their own terms, and the system did the rest.

With a mix of pace, power, vision and immaculate decision-making, they stretched a Scotstown side that had no answer to the men from the Mournes, who attacked from all angles and depths.

Playing into the wind, Scotstown pressed bravely early on, with no sweeper, but they were turned back by a string of turnovers, with Kilcoo transitioning with accuracy and pace as they settled into the game with a 0-3 to 0-1 lead by the ninth minute.

Anthony Morgan, Ryan Johnston and goalkeeper Niall Kane were all on target as they went 0-3 to 0-1 ahead by the ninth minute, but a string of wides opened the door for the Farney champions to go level by the 24th minute.

Rory Beggan drilled a free between the posts and Conor McCarthy made it 0-4 each, with midfielder Micheal McCarville driving their challenge and a strong press from deep from Kieran Hughes and Ryan O’Toole.

However, Kilcoo stepped up the tempo in the closing stages of the half, creating three goal chances and taking two of them to get themselves in control of the tie.

Ceilum Doherty and Jack Devlin combined in the lighting move that sent Shealan Johnston in to bring a terrific save from Beggan, and somehow Anthony Morgan failed to convert the loose ball from a couple of yards out.

But they continued to run at a backpedalling Scotstown defence, and when Beggan had produced another brilliant stop from Jerome Johnston, the ball went in off the unfortunate Shane Carey.

Just a minute later, a second goal, netted by Christopher Rooney after Aaron Morgan’s shot had come back off a post.

Carey did have a chance to redeem himself, but his palmed effort was comfortably saved Kane, before Jerome Johnston sent the Down champions in with a 2-6 to 0-5 advantage.

Two more goals within five minutes of the restart had the game out of sight.

Ceilum Doherty sent Miceal Rooney through to unleash a bullet to the roof of the net, and a marauding run through the heart of the Farney champions’ defence by centre back Darryl Branagan set up Doherty to hit the top corner.

Suddenly the Mourne men were 13 points clear and free to play the remainder of the game on their own terms.

That they did with virtual perfection, their pace, support play, vision and decision-making impeccable as they made little of the gusting wind blowing in their faces.

They tagged on points through Jerome Johnston, Rooney and the excellent Anthony Morgan, before a run of Scotstown scores saw Beggan and Jack McCarron nail frees, but they never looked like overhauling an opponent brimming with confidence.

Goalkeeper Beggan joined the attack in a full 15-man press in the closing stages, and they did garner scores from substitutes Mark McPhillips and Ross McKenna, but left themselves open at the back for Rooney to plunder a second goal and his side’s fifth on 59 minutes.

Scorers for Kilcoo: M Rooney 2-0, C Rooney 1-1, C Doherty 1-0, S Carey 1-0 (o.g.), J Johnston 0-3 (1f), R Johnston 0-2, S Johnston, Aaron Morgan, Anthony Morgan, N Kane (’45) 0-1 each.

Scorers for Scotstown: J McCarron (1f), R Beggan (2f), J Hamill, D Murray 0-2 each, S Carey (f), M McCarville, C McCarthy, M McPhillips, R McKenna, E Caulfield 0-1 each.

KILCOO: N Kane; N Branagan, R McEvoy, C Rogers; M Rooney, D Branagan, E Branagan; Aaron Morgan, R Johnston; C Rooney, Anthony Morgan, S Johnston, C Doherty, J Johnston, J Devlin.

Subs: C Laverty for Rooney (41), N Rodgers for Devlin (54), M Hynes for R Johnston (62) 

SCOTSTOWN: R Beggan; D Murray, D McArdle, J McKevitt; J Hamill, R O’Toole, C McCarthy; M McCarville, G McPhillips; J Carey, S Carey, K Hughes; F Maguire, D Hughes, J McCarron.

Subs: M Maguire for F Maguire (33), N Sherlock for J Casey (35), R McKenna for Hamill (42), M McPhillips for G McPhillips (45), E Caulfield for McDevitt (54) 

Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone).