Kilcoo are kings of Down once more

Kilcoo are kings of Down once more

23 September 2020

IT’S eight Down titles in nine years for Kilcoo after they saw off Carryduff in Newry on Sunday evening.

They put on a display of great confidence — the sort of confidence that comes with being kings of the county so many times in recent years.

The Magpies were overwhelming favourites, with prices as low as 1/10 with some bookmakers. Their players have the battle scars to prove they are no strangers to the cut and thrust of championship battles.

The current Down and Ulster champions, called the shots for the most part of this final. They showed real danger to Carryduff in their ability to counter-attack in an instant.

However going into this match, Carryduff were not being dismissed as cannon fodder by any pundits.

With three U-21 titles won from 2017-19, it is not difficult to see why Carryduff are regarded as a major force in the county. 

Kilcoo will have been all to aware that these were genuine pretenders to the throne. This run to the final will have done wonders for their confidence and showed them that they can mix it at the business end of championships.

They certainly did not carry an inferiority complex.  On occasions, their distribution was their undoing, but they never lost heart or belief that they could spring an almighty upset here.

On such a huge occasion, a difficult task was made even harder for Carryduff when Down star James Guinness was absent from the starting 15.

By the first water-break there was nothing between the sides, the score at 0-3 to 0-3. 

Two frees from Ronan Beatty, followed by a point from Daniel Guinness, accounted for Carryduff’s scores. 

Ryan Johnston and Ryan McEvoy pointed for Kilcoo before Conor Laverty and Aidan Branagan combined for Eugene Branagan to finish off a beautifully-crafted move with another point. 

Carryduff had a real test of their mettle when they fell two points behind three minutes before the interval. It is not to be advised by any team to let this Kilcoo outfit pull too far ahead, especially when they have the scent of silverware. Paul Devlin landed a free, and Jerome Johnston pointed. 

But Carryduff showed great character in their response. Beatty met Josh Connery’s fisted pass and advanced on Niall Kane, attempting to fool the Kilcoo custodian with a side-step, but he fired his shot over the bar when the goal was inviting.

With that chance somewhat unfulfilled, the Magpies stepped up a gear with Shealan Johnston fisting over before Devlin split the posts to make it 0-7 to 0-4 at the midway point.

Mickey Moran’s side came out in the second half at full tilt. Ryan Johnston and Eugene Branagan extended the gap to five points inside the first couple of minutes. Branagan in particular was superb in this spell, a non-stop bundle of energy.

In the space of three minutes, Devlin, Ceilum Doherty, and Ryan Johnston had effectively moved Kilcoo out of sight as they led 0-15 to 0-7 moving into the final quarter-of-an-hour.

The game then began to peter out towards its conclusion as the Magpies title was confirmed by the referee’s final whistle.

For Carryduff there will be plenty to look back on with pride when the dust settles on this result. A first senior final is something the players will have learnt a lot from, despite the result.

However Moran’s Kilcoo once again remain the benchmark in Down. The Frank O’Hare Cup made a familiar journey late on Sunday evening.

Kilcoo: N Kane, A Branagan, R McEvoy (0-2), N McEvoy, D Branagan, C Doherty (0-1), E Branagan (0-3), A Branagan, D Ward (0-1), S Johnston (0-1), J Johnston (0-1), P Devlin (0-4), R Johnston (0-3), C Laverty.

Subs: D O’Hanlon for R Johnston (53), J Clarke for S Johnston (56), P Greenan for Aidan Branagan (58), M Rooney for E Branagan (61), M Devlin for Laverty (63).

Carryduff: M Hynes, G Henderson, C Cassidy, L Toal, A O’Brien, M McGrath, J McGeough (0-1), D Guinness (0-1), J Connery, J McFlynn, J Tunney, O McCabe, R Anderson, R Beatty (0-7), J Henry.

Subs: P Loughran for Tunney (49), C Tierney for McFlynn, (49), S Reilly for Anderson, (51), M Lawson for Henry (55), R Lawlor for O’Brien (61).

Referee: C Reynolds (Rostrevor).

Carryduff 0-9

Kilcoo 0-16

MORGAN FUELS DOWN SFC FINAL