Kilcoo (Down) 1-11

Watty Grahams Glen (Derry) 0-11

(After extra-time)

Declan Bogue reports from Athletic Grounds

IT’S BACK TO another Ulster final for Down champions Kilcoo, who finally shook off a sticky Glen team with an opportunistic goal from Jerome Johnston just before the break of half time in extra time.

Waiting for Kilcoo in the final are Fermanagh club Derrygonnelly Harps, who they played in the semi-final of 2019 and just about hung on for a 1-8 to 0-9 win.

It was a 0-4 apiece scoreline at the break with just three points scored from play.

The impression it gave, after lengthy passages of play from both sides when they were turned back continuously, was that it was counter-productive to actually have possession. It was better instead to be defending and hope for a turnover to launch a counterattack into space.

Although the second half produced the same scoreline, things had opened up somewhat. The pattern remained however with Kilcoo hitting two early scores and it took two consecutive Glen points to rescue matters and take it to extra time.

The move of Ciaran McFaul to full-forward provided them with the physicality they were missing in that sector as well as doing something to curtail the growing influence of Ryan McEvoy.

In such circumstances, a mistake was all one team needed to punish the other. It was a game of blinking first.

When Glen goalkeeper Conlann Bradley hit a short kickout to his full-back Ryan Dougan, Kilcoo attacker Paul Devlin stole in and robbed the ball. He passed to Jerome Johnston who placed his shot in the roof of the Glen goal.

That bit of wriggle room bargained for, they hung on until the end in the way that champions do.

Scorers for Kilcoo: J Johnston (1-0), P Devlin (0-3f), M Rooney (0-2), S Johnston (0-2), D Ward (0-1), C Doherty (0-1), R Johnston (0-1), N Kane (0-1, ‘45’)

Scorers for Glen: D Tallon (0-4f), C Glass (0-2, 1f), E Bradley (0-2, 1f), P Gunning (0-1f), T Flanagan (0-1), S O’Hara (0-1f)

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

Subs: D Branagan for Anthony Morgan (50m), C Rooney for Laverty (57m), Aidan Branagan for Aaron Morgan (59m), J Clarke for E Branagan (ET 10m), P Greenan for Ward (ET 14m), C Laverty for D Branagan (ET 16m)

GLEN: C Bradley; M Warnock, R Dougan, C Carville; T Flanagan, C McFaul, E Doherty; C Glass, E Bradley; E Mulholland, J Doherty, C McDevitt; P Gunning, D Tallon, C McGuckian

Subs: A Doherty for Gunning (45m), C Convery for McDevitt (50m), C Gallagher for Carville (60m), S O’Hara for McGuckian (ET 6m), A McGonigle for Mulholland (ET 10m)

Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan)