LAST UPDATE | 15 Oct 2023
Kilcoo 2-12
Burren 0-9
THE RECORD BOOKS will show that Kilcoo control Down football with a vice-like grip after winning their eleventh title, from the last twelve finals.
It seems like no team in the county, despite their pretensions, can even muster a credible challenge against the men from the Mournes. Last year Warrenpoint took the final to extra time here and the suspicion was that Burren might have enough to get a job done here with Australian Rules prospect Odhran Murdock and the rapid Liam Kerr, Ryan and Danny Magill, Peter Fagan and Paddy McCarthy all with recent county experience.
But in the end, Burren were outclassed. The nine-point margin did not flatter Kilcoo.
Away from the raw data, the game will be remembered for an unseemly mess around the appointment of referee Paul Faloon. A series of objections by Kilcoo meant that Faloon withdrew his services. The game went ahead with Brian Higgins as referee, but something of a dangerous precedent has now been set.
Prior to the start, Kilcoo signalled their intent with three late changes. Down manager Conor Laverty got his first start of this championship campaign. It would have been the first time he wasn’t in the starting line-up for any of the last twelve finals they have been in.
Aaron Branagan also got his first start of the season, having sat out the league entirely. Both men were pivotal to the win.
Burren opened brightly, forcing several early turnovers and looked to be tuned in with an early Liam Kerr free and Darra Mussen on target.
Things looked to be getting even better for them when Kilcoo’s attacking star Jerome Johnston chased a pass on seven minutes against Paddy Burns, only to pull up. He had to be replaced with what appeared a hamstring injury.
From then on though, it fell apart for them and it took until Mussen’s second point on 24 minutes until they registered again.
In the meantime, Kilcoo played a very smart game. They demolished Burren goalkeeper Kevin McKernan’s restarts, not allowing any shorts and their greater power showed.
With Kilcoo playing all fifteen men in their own 45 while without the ball, Burren played too cautious and didn’t run at their opponents to draw frees, while there seemed to be a lack of players entrusted with shooting duties.
When Kilcoo achieved a turnover, they ran straight at the heart of Burren. Conor Laverty was a key figure in such moves, too crafty for his marker and county player, Ryan Magill who was on a yellow card from the eleventh minute after an altercation with Eugene Branagan.
Laverty set up Anthony Morgan for their first point and a foul by Ryan Cunningham on Ryan Johnston allowed goalkeeper Niall Kane to stroll up and loft over from 46 metres to level the game.
Aaron Morgan and Ryan Johnston added two points in a minute, Aaron Branagan advanced to convert, as did Eugene Branagan.
Paul Devlin closed out the half with two late scores but in each of these scores, the alarming thing was how locked in to their zonal defence Burren seemed.
Each Kilcoo player was a late arrival to the attack and found themselves in far too much space, each shot was barely interrupted by pressure or a challenge.
Clearly, the former Kilcoo manager Jim McCorry, responsible for digging the foundations of this Magpies team and delivering their first successes, had a huge task on his hands to convince his Burren team they were still in at after the break when they were 0-8 to 0-3 down.
But the first ten minutes of the second half passed with only one Burren score, that coming from a Kerr free.
In an effort to add something to the mix, the 2010 All-Star Kevin McKernan ventured out of his goals to link the play on 40 minutes. He was stripped of the ball and after Kilcoo worked it around the Burren defensive fringe, Ryan Johnston found brother Shealan.
His shot came off the post high up and it fell to the alert Miceál Rooney, who slammed past McKernan, who has made it back on the line.
It did seem to shake up Burren for a time and they tagged on two more scores, but their big chance came on 46 minutes. Kerr carved a line through the defence and dished off a handpass to Danny Magill. He cut inside to his left and let off a shot but Kilcoo goalkeeper Niall Kane put a strong hand on it to deflect out.
The final word fell to Kilcoo when Ryan Johnston was upended by Conor Murphy in the area. Paul Devlin stepped up to plant his shot to the net.
Next up for Kilcoo is a preliminary round Ulster club tie with the Fermanagh champions. The Down championship is never enough.
Scorers for Kilcoo: Paul Devlin 1-5 (1-0 pen, 2f), Miceál Rooney 1-1, Niall Kane 0-2, (1f, 1x’45’), Aaron Branagan, Eugene Branagan, Aaron Morgan, Ryan Johnston, Shealan Johnston, Anthony Morgan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Burren: Liam Kerr 0-3 (2f), Odhran Murdock 0-2, Ronan McGrath 0-2, Darra Mussen 0-2.
Kilcoo
1. Niall Kane
22. Eugene Branagan, 3. Ryan McEvoy, 18. Aaron Branagan
9. Ryan Johnston, 6. Darryl Branagan, 15. Ceilum Doherty
8. Aaron Morgan, 12. Anthony Morgan
10. Shealan Johnston, 5. Miceál Rooney, 13. Paul Devlin
11. Jerome Johnston, 14. Christopher Rooney, 26. Conor Laverty
Subs
24. Sean Óg McCusker for Jerome Johnston (8)
2. MacDarragh Hynes for Eugene Branagan (33)
7. Jack Devlin for Shealan Johnston (49)
4. Callum Rogers for Christopher Rooney (58)
25. Nathan Rogers for Laverty (62)
Burren
1. Kevin McKernan
2. Ryan Magill, 3. Gerard McGovern, 4. Ardan McAvoy
5. Paddy McCarthy, 6. Paddy Burns, 7. Peter Fegan
8. Odhran Murdock, 9. Conail McGovern
10. Darra Mussen, 11. Ryan Cunningam, 12. Danny Magill
13. Donal O’Hare, 14. Liam Kerr, 15. David McEntee
Subs
21. Ronan McGrath for Conail McGovern (24)
22. Shay McArdle for McEntee (44)
23. Paudie Poland for McAvoy (44)
20. Steven Fagan for Cunningham (55)
26. Conor Murphy for Mussen (58)
Referee: Brian Higgins (Annaclone).
***
Elsewhere, football champions were crowned in Wexford, Longford, Clare and Laois.
Shelmaliers edged defending champions Castletown at Wexford Park in a role reversal, with Paul Hearne the late hero.
St Joseph’s ended a 23-year wait for Laois glory after edging out Portlaoise; Emmet Óg Killoe reigned supreme in Longford for the first time since 2020 after a late Mark Hughes free; and Colm Collins led Cratloe to success in Clare.
And reigning All-Ireland club champions Kilkerrin-Clonberne lifted their 11th consecutive Galway senior ladies football crown after a seven-point win over Claregalway. Tribe stars Olivia Divilly and Nicola Ward scored the goals in the 2-9 to 0-8 victory.
Wexford SFC final
- Shelmaliers 1-12 Castletown 1-11
Longford SFC final
- Emmet Óg Killoe 1-8 Clonguish 0-10
Clare SFC final
- Cratloe 1-10 St Breckan’s 1-8
Laois SFC final
- St. Joseph’s 0-7 Portlaoise 0-6
Galway LGFA SFC final
- Kilkerrin Clonberne 2-9 Claregalway 0-8
- Updated 6.37pm with other football final results