Crosserlough come up short in controversial clash with Kilcoo

Ulster Club SFC quarter-final

Kilcoo 0-15

Crosserlough 1-10

Paul Fitzpatrick at Páirc Esler

Down champions Kilcoo marched on to the Ulster semi-final after coming through a stern examination from Cavan’s Crosserlough in this fiercely-contested clash in Newry.

Crosserlough were aggrieved to pick up three black cards over the course of the hour and, in the closing stages, their star forward James Smith was mistakenly shown a yellow and then a red card and dismissed by referee Barry Cassidy, despite not having been shown a yellow earlier in the contest.

Kilcoo, though, again showed their nous and their nerve in tight games; they used the ball well, Paul Devlin nailed his frees and was dangerous from play, full-back Ryan McEvoy was immense and sub Conor Laverty steered the ship home with ain influential cameo off the bench.

The Cavan champions came into this one hoping to improve the county’s dismal record in the competition. Aside from Cavan Gaels, who beat the Antrim and Fermanagh champions to reach the final in 2017, no Cavan club had won a match in this competition since 2008 – and, in fact, no team other than the Gaels had picked up a win since Gowna defeated Clontibret 22 years ago.

Kilcoo, for their part, were hot favourites and understandably so. They won the county final by 1-10 to 0-4 against Burren to seal a 12th Down Senior Championship title in 13 years and have added two Ulster titles and an All-Ireland in that timeframe to establish themselves as one of the modern-day giants of Ulster club football.

Kilcoo led by a point, 0-8 to 1-4, at the end of a first half in which Crosserlough competed strongly – but picked up two black cards, one for Oran Rehill in the 16th minute and the other for Kieran Smith in injury time, both of which the away side were annoyed over.

The Cavanmen got off to a brilliant start when team captain Peter Smith did well in the right corner to square the ball for his younger brother James, who rose highest to palm home a goal.

Kilcoo, set up to counter-attack, got off the mark in the eighth minute with a well-taken Ryan Johnston score but Crosserlough, playing more adventurously, registered again with a Brandon Boylan free after a foul on Oran Rehill.

From a high ball, Kilcoo gathered the break and Callum Rogers poached a good point but again, Crosserlough mustered a response when Dara McVeety spectacularly gathered Conor Rehill’s pass and nailed the resulting mark from 35 metres.

Then came the black card but the Breffni champions managed it reasonably well. While Jerome Johnston and Paul Devlin – with a terrific strike off the left after a lightning break out of defence – both raised white flags for the Mourne men, the ‘Lough’s reply was impressive.

Good work from corner-back Fionn Lovett beat the high press and saw Peter Smith split the posts with a well-taken left-footed point.

Kilcoo full-back Ryan McEvoy comfortably stroked over a free from distance but Crosserlough’s next score was their best of the half, goalkeeper – and former attacker - Shane McManus tearing out of defence, playing a one-two with Brandon Boylan and then curling over with the outside of the boot to make it 1-4 to 0-5.

That was as good as it got, however, for the away side as Kilcoo’s quality and experience came to the fore. Paul Devlin converted a free and then, after goalkeeper Niall Kane scuffed a free from 45 metres, it fell kindly to Jerome Johnston, who pointed on the turn.

Approaching the short whistle, Kieran Smith became the second Crosserlough player to be shown a black card and Devlin did the honours from the resulting free to leave the former All-Ireland champions in front by the minimum at the midway point.

Kilcoo opened the second-half scoring a minute in through Darryl Branagan but Crosserlough replied with an Emmett Boylan point, created by their outstanding goalkeeper, Shane McManus.

James Smith then converted a mark, again after McManus did well, but a smart pass from Laverty released Devlin for a mark at the other end.

The ref spotted a foul off the ball on Laverty and Devlin did the needful to leave two between the sides but Crosserlough again hit back, James Smith finding his brother Kieran who made it a one-point game again entering the final quarter.

A brilliant effort from Ryan McEvoy nudged Kilcoo in front but the Magpies were unable to take flight as the resilient underdogs hung on tight. McManus combined with Dara McVeety, who curled in an excellent point, and when Oran Rehill acrobatically gathered a mark and converted, it was a draw game.

Up stepped Laverty then with one of the best points of the contest and when McVeety was black-carded, deservedly it appeared, Crosserlough’s race appeared to be run.

They produced one more score, the equaliser coming via a spectacular Matthew Costello effort, but Kilcoo were not to be denied, Laverty handing the ball to Devlin for a neat score from play and the corner-forward then rounding off the scoring with another free to wrap up a two-point win.

Crosserlough: Shane McManus (0-1), John Cooke, Patrick O’Reilly, Fionn Lovett, Cian Boylan, Conor Rehill, Kieran Smith (0-1), James Smith (1-0), Peter Smith (0-1), Oran Rehill (0-1m), Dara McVeety (0-2, 1m), Harry Boylan, Brandon Boylan (0-1f), Emmett Boylan (0-1), Matthew Costello (0-1)

Subs: Eoin Cusack for B Boylan (50), Stephen Smith for E Boylan (53), Ryan Galligan for H Boylan (59)

Kilcoo: Niall Kane, Niall Branagan, Ryan McEvoy (0-2, 1f), Callum Rogers, Miceál Rooney, Darryl Branagan (0-1), Eugene Branagan, Aaron Morgan, Ryan Johnston, MacDarragh Hynes, Anthony Morgan, Shealan Johnston, Ceilum Doherty, Jerome Johnston (0-2), Paul Devlin (0-7, 3f, 1m)

Subs: Conor Laverty (0-1) for E Branagan (41), Jack Devlin for M Hynes (43), Christopher Rooney for J Johnston (60)

Ref: Barry Cassidy (Derry)