GLENSWILLY’S HOPES OF a second Ulster final appearance in four seasons ended in disappointment following their loss to a slick Kilcoo at Pairc Esler.
Kilcoo 1-12 Glenswilly 1-6
In the end, a six-point loss looks quite conclusive but it was anything but. Glenswilly have a habit of doing things the hard way but this afternoon they just had left themselves too much to do.
Photo caption: Brian Farrelly on the ball for Glenswilly as Michael Murphy offers support as Eugene Branagan and Niall McEvoy from Kilcoo look on in the AIB Ulster Club SFC quarter-final at Pairc Esler in Newry. Photo Geraldine Diver
Eight minutes in the second half, Glenswilly were 1-6 to 0-7 in front and looking good. However, Cathal Gallagher passed up on a goal chance and minutes later was sent off in conceding a penalty that put Kilcoo in front.
The 14 men of Glenswilly battled on gamely but had to pull Michael Murphy out from full-forward, where he was having a field day. Kilcoo scored 1-5 in succession to see it out.
Kilcoo, the five-in-a-row champions of Down, started the better in the autumnal sunshine in Newry. Glenswilly, though, stuck to their brass tacts and grew more and more into the contest.
Rather like in their victory in the aptly sponsored Michael Murphy Sports & Leisure Donegal SFC, where Michael Canning’s team toppled Kilcar despite being 7/1 outsiders, Glenswilly once more were content to play the role of the supposed underdog.
After 20 minutes, Kilcoo led 0-5 to 0-2. Frees from full-back Darragh O’Hanlon and Paul Devlin preceded two flamboyant outside of the boot scores by Ryan Johnston and Eugene Branagan as the team managed by Paul McIver were showing their class.
A fifth point, from a Glenswilly perspective, was frustrating as a short free went the way of Johnston to score again as the north-western side were guilty of falling asleep monetarily.
Although Glenswilly’s attacks weren’t overly frequent to begin with, with Murphy on the edge of the square there was constant menace, even though the Donegal captain was marked by O’Hanlon and Niall McEvoy.
[adrotate group=”53″]Brian Farrelly had opened Glenswilly’s account having been fed by Murphy when Neil Gallagher had piled in a long ball and Murphy himself added his team’s second on the turn.
Murphy was then fouled on 21 minutes and Gary McFadden did the necessary from close range and Glenswilly were back to within a point, 0-5 to 0-4, with an excellent Oisin Crawford score minutes later.
Crawford was the loneliest man at Pairc Esler, seemingly surrounded on the sideline and had little option but to buy a lotto ticket. His connection was perfect and it sailed over Niall Kane’s crossbar.
It was an inspirational score and bellowed the sails of Glenswilly. On 27 minutes, a lay-off from Murphy set Farrelly away and although in space he might’ve been losing his way prior to being taken down. Barry Cassidy, the match referee, awarded a penalty and Murphy slammed past Kane into the bottom corner for a 1-4 to 0-5 Glenswilly lead.
[adrotate group=”37″]Kilcoo scored the last point of the half through a free from Devlin. At the break Glenwilly were one up, 1-4 to 0-6.
Johnston opened the second half scoring with a fisted point to tie it up but again Glenswilly, through Murphy and Crawford scores, showed their resolve.
Eight minutes into the second half, with Murphy by now completely dominant, Glenswilly should’ve added a second goal. Murphy again outfielded his two babysitters and laid into Cathal Gallagher, who was one-on-one with Kane. But having picked his spot Gallagher placed the shot wide of the post as the half the ground drew for breath.
[adrotate group=”81″]Gallagher’s day was about to get worse as, on 41 minutes, he caught Conor Laverty with a neck-high tackle and Cassidy awarded a Kilcoo penalty. Gallagher was given a straight red card. The tackle was high but perhaps instinctive. O’Hanlon slotted the penalty past James Gallagher. Kilcoo were 1-8 to 1-6 in front.
Conor Laverty and Donal Kane added further score and Devlin a fourth free. Leon Kelly made a goal-saving block to deny Kilcoo a second goal through Eugene Branagan. And goalkeeper Niall Kane popped over the 45. Glenswilly tried to long in the end, with Murphy back inside, but Kilcoo quelled the storm.
The contest was over but a serious injury to O’Hanlon, the Kilcoo goalscorer and full-back, was stretchered from the field late on. Ten and a half minutes injury time came and went with that. Glenswilly – who saw Brian Farrelly red carded late in the day – would be forgiven for wondering ‘what if?’.
Kilcoo: Niall Kane (0-1, 45); Niall McEvoy, Darragh O’Hanlon (1-1, 1-0 pen, 1f), Niall Branagan; Daryll Branagan, Aidan Branagan, Eugene Branagan (0-1); James McClean, Felim McGreevy; Celium Doherty, Aaron Morgan, Ryan Johnston (0-3); Martin Devlin, Paul Devlin (0-4, 4f), Conor Laverty (0-1). Subs: Donal Kane (0-1) for M Devlin (43), JJ McLoughlin for A Branagan (46), Aaron Branagan for E Branagan (57), Sean O’Hanlon for P Devlin (58), Gary McEvoy and Gerard McEvoy for Laverty and JJ McLoughlin (black card 60).
Glenswilly: James Gallagher; Patrick McFadden, Eamon Ward, Aidan McDevitt; Ciaran Gibbons, Ryan Diver, Joe Gibbons; Neil Gallagher, Caolan Kelly; Cormac Callaghan, Cathal Gallagher, Brian Farrelly (0-1); Oisin Crawford (0-2), Michael Murphy (1-2, 1-0 pen), Gary McFadden (0-1, 1f). Subs: Ciaran Bonner for Crawford (46), Leon Kelly for Diver (50), Darren McGinley for Callaghan (52), Kealan McFadden for C Gibbons (58).
Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)
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