Kilcoo 1-08 Scotstown 0-12
A sea of blue swamped Páirc Esler on Sunday evening when a Rory Beggan free from outside the '45 sent Scotstown into the Ulster Championship semi-finals at the expense of Down Champions Kilcoo.
The Magpies were the favourites heading into this game but it was nip and tuck throughout until that last kick of the game which secured the one-point victory for David McCague's men.
While Scotstown had a rest since winning their twenty-second Monaghan championship, Kilcoo had a quick turnaround following their victory over Derrygonnelly in the first round of the championship last weekend. They were without the injured Jerome Johnston then and likewise this Sunday, and while who knows if Kilcoo's ace goalscorer would have made a difference in this game, Scotstown were certainly worthy winners of a hard-fought battle.
Kilcoo's Ryan McEvoy, who was sticking tight to Jack McCarron from the start, was lucky to be handed a yellow rather than a red card in the sixth minute when he blatantly jumped into Brendan Boyle sending him crashing to the ground. The teams were tied at 0-01 apiece at that stage but by the 17th minute the Magpies led 0-03 to 0-02 with their three scores from the backline of Miceal Rooney and Darryl and Eugene Branagan and Scotstown's points provided by Shane and Jason Carey.
The game remained tight despite Beggan missing his third long-range free. Aaron Morgan put Kilcoo two points ahead, but Shane Carey responded from a free and Conor McCarthy levelled the match at 0-04 each at the half-time whistle.
The UTM chants rang around Pairc Esler when keeper Niall Kane nailed a free from a long way out, but they were silenced when Donal Morgan replied from play and Miceal Rooney kicked two wides from scoreable range.
Beggan opened his account with a terrific point from play but when Ceilum Doherty was fouled in the square by Darren Hughes on 39 minutes, a Kilcoo penalty was awarded. Devlin stepped up and drilled into the roof of the net to give the Magpies a 1-05 to 0-06 lead.
That lead increased to four with points from Shealan Johnston and Anthony Morgan, but Scotstown were going nowhere, as a brace from McCarron followed. Time was running out and Kilcoo still led by two with 58 minutes on the clock, but a roar went up from the Monaghan supporters when Beggan converted a free and Jason Carey scored from a mark as stoppage time began, squaring the match at 1-07 to 0-10.
Tensions grew when Scotstown were reduced to 14 men, with Ross McKenna black carded and Ryan Johnston won a free in front of goal that Paul Devlin popped over the bar. That gave Kilcoo a narrow 1-08 to 0-10 advantage with three of the five stoppage time minutes played, but again Scotstown showed their mettle when Kieran Hughes won and converted a mark and when the same player won a free on 65 minutes, that man Beggan stepped up and sent the ball straight between the sticks to book Scotstown their place in the semis.
Kilcoo: N Kane (0-01, 01f); N Branagan, R McEvoy, A Branagan; M Rooney, (0-01) D Branagan (0-01), E Branagan (0-01); Aaron Morgan (0-01), R Johnston; S Johnston (0-01), J Devlin, Anthony Morgan (0-01); P Devlin (1-01, 1 pen, 01f), C Laverty, C Doherty
Subs: S O McCusker for J Devlin (42), C Rooney for Laverty (57)
Scotstown: R Began (0-03, 02f); B Boylan, R O'Toole, D McArdle; C McCarthy (0-01), D Morgan (0-01), E Caulfield; D Hughes, M McCarville; J Carey (0-02, 01m), S Carey (0-02, 01f), J Hamill; M Maguire, K Hughes (0-0, 01m), J McCarron (0-02, 01f)
Subs: D Murray for Caulfield (46), M McPhilips for Hamill (51), O Heaphy for J Carey (60+3)
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan)
