Saul fall to Kilcoo goals in club’s top flight debut

2 April 2025

REGARDLESS of the result, Saul made history when they welcomed Kilcoo to Saint Patrick’s Park for the opening game of their Division 1 campaign on Sunday.

Saul were promoted as Division 2 champions last year, reaching the highest level for the first time in the club’s history.

They did not receive an easy first fixture, taking on the reigning Division 1 champions, with Kilcoo looking to make the best possible start and Saul aiming to set a marker for all other teams.

It was the home side who got the scoring underway after two minutes, when Rory Mullen found Jack Fitzsimons, who quickly turned and took his point.

Saul doubled their scoring when Philip Doran went out right and James Mahoney moved into a goal-scoring opportunity position.

Doran’s ball bounced off the bar and, after the referee blew for a free, he put his first point on the board.

Doran added his second point as he rounded off a great passage of play from Ciaran and Lorcan Harney, but Kilcoo got off the mark after eight minutes.

Darryl Branagan and Paul Devlin linked up, and Brandon Morgan was well placed to get his team’s first point of the game.

The hosts quickly restored their three-point lead though, with Niall Branagan fouling James Mahoney and Doran stepping up to convert the free.

Their leading margin was wiped out when Sean Og McCusker found the net for Kilcoo, and the Magpies moved in front with a Jerome Johnston point.

Saul quickly played the ball out and although Luka Carew was looking good for a goal, Bobo Kane somehow kept it out.

Kane was the hero again, three minutes later, when James Mahoney was given the room to go for goal and the away goalkeeper produced a fantastic save.

With five minutes to go before half-time, Devlin found point of his own for Kilcoo, but Saul’s James Johnston pulled the difference back to a single point.

Saul started brilliantly in the second half, with Justin Magilton and Doran converting frees and John Mahoney meeting a great pass from Lorcan Harney to add a point.

It took Kilcoo 11 minutes to get back into their groove in the second half, with a Kane free getting them up and running again.

Saul dug out another goal chance in the final 15 minutes, but James Mahoney’s effort was blocked by Tiarnan Fettes and Aaron Morgan and they ha to settle for another John Mahoney point.

Kilcoo were moving with pace in the closing stages and they pulled themselves to within a point, before Nathan Rogers punched over the bar and levelled the game.

The Magpies put themselves on course for victory with a Devlin and a Jerome Johnston point after 50 minutes.

Saul threw everything forward in the dying moments, and they were left frustrated as Kane pulled off another astonishing save to deny Mullen.

Kilcoo took the points, but the Saul team can hold their heads high and take pride in their performance.

Saul: C Kinsella, C Mahoney, L Carew, J Hayes, J Johnston, L Harney, O Magee, G Murdock, R Mullen, J Magilton, P Doran, J Mahoney, C Harney, J Mahoney, J Fitzsimons.

Subs: C Laverty, D Higgins, R Connor.

Kilcoo: N Kane, T Fettes, N Branagan, M Hynes, N Rogers, D Branagan, C Rogers, A Morgan, R Johnston, B Morgan, C Rooney, J Clarke, J Johnston, S McCusker, P Devlin.

Subs: C O’Reilly, C Madine, J Devlin.

Saul 0-10

Kilcoo 2-10

O’NEILLS ACFL DIVISION 1

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