Magpies survive to defend their title, with Clonduff a kick away from final

A kick of the ball at the death was the determining factor that sent holders Kilcoo into the Down Senior Football Championship Final and Clonduff out of the competition.

​Relief and bitter disappointment were the overwhelming emotions in Pairc Esler at the final whistle – the Magpies feeling the former and the Yellas the latter.

It was a thrilling high quality game of football with nothing between the sides from start to finish - Kilcoo, the hot favourites, determined to reach their fourteenth final in a row and win the Frank O’Hare Cup for the seventh time on the trot, while Clonduff were edging closer, determined to reverse a four-point loss to the champions in Round 2 of this competition and upset the odds.

And they almost did, with big performances from their big players. But likewise, the Magpies kept their cool and – as they do – got the crucial scores when they counted most.

Two-pointers were the order of the day for Clonduff in the first half, ensuring they would be a point up at the break.

All but two of their first half 0-10 tally were from outside the arc, while Kilcoo nabbed a somewhat fortuitous goal and their six points were all singles.

In the second half the sides proved inseparable and were level six times with two more two-point scores from a big name off the bench for Clonduff and one for the Magpies.

But Kilcoo had the narrowest of leads in the third minute of stoppage time and that proved to be enough even though it was out of their hands after that.

Anthony Morgan opened the scoring with a point in the first minute, but Arthur McConville set the tone for the Yellas with their first two-pointer less than 60 seconds later.

Ryan Johnston's curled effort flew wide in the next Kilcoo attack but Barra McEvoy levelled in the fourth minute.

Clonduff came close to a maximum when a ball in was missed by Kilcoo defender Niall Branagan and Senan Carr took a punt swooping in and shooting low for goal. But while the ball went wide, Eamon Brown nailed their second two-pointer to put his side into an 0-4 to 0-2 lead in the sixth minute.

After turnovers at both ends, Shealan Johnston dropped a shot into Clonduff keeper Mark Devlin's arms but on 14 minutes, a point effort from Kilcoo pounded off the post and dropped kindly to Ceilum Doherty who stuck the ball in the net.

Ryan Johnston tagged on a point to give the Magpies a 1-3 to 0-4 lead, and traded points between Brown from a free and Barra McEvoy from play kept the two-point margin intact.

There was no shaking Clonduff however, as Ross Carr took a quickfire free sending the ball over the bar from outside the arc and while Darryl Branagan replied with a single score at the other end, to nudge his side in front again, Ross Carr raised another orange flag from play to make it 0-9 to 1-5.

Traded points between Kilcoo keeper Niall Kane from a free and Brown from play, kept the Yellas in front by the minimum, leading 0-10 to 1-6 at the half-time whistle.

The match remained neck-and-neck throughout the second half with the tension levels rising right up to the final whistle.

Paul Devlin got his scoring boots on with his first from a free after the re-start and while Arthur McConville replied straight away at the other end, Devlin squared proceedings again with a super point from play.

The Magpies then kicked three wides in a row and Clonduff took the lead once more when Eamon Brown dropped a two-point free short and McConville fisted over the bar, but Devlin was on a roll and soon the score read 1-11 to 0-12 .

Clonduff had an ace up their sleeve however as Barry O’Hagan, who is slowly returning from a lengthy recurring injury, was sprung from the bench. With his first touch the brilliant county man, booted a two-pointer over the bar from play and two minutes later raised another orange flag with another cracking kick.

That gave the Yellas a two-point cushion with 10 minutes remaining, but Darryl Branagan had something to say about that as he launched a beauty from distance at the other end to square proceedings once again.

This match increasingly looked like extra time was on the cards as traded points between Devlin (free) and Stephen McConville kept nothing between the teams 0-17 to 1-14.

Ceilum Doherty’s fisted point proved crucial in the end however.

Arthur McConville was off-target from a free from beyond the ‘45 as the clock wound time but there was still time for Clonduff to win this match.

Another free was won outside the arc and all eyes were on Clonduff joint captain Charlie Carr who bravely stepped up to take it from his hands.

Those eyes followed the ball that seemed to take an age as it sailed towards the target. Carr had the distance but not the accuracy, as the ball finished the wrong side of the post. Clonduff hearts were broken, while Kilcoo’s could beat again having survived by the skin of their teeth.

MATCH STATS

Kilcoo: N Kane (0-1,1f); C Rogers, R McEvoy, N Branagan; M Rooney, D Branagan (0-3,1tp), A Branagan; Aaron Morgan, Anthony Morgan (0-1); C Doherty (1-1), R Johnston (0-1), S Johnston; P Devlin (0-6,4f), C Rooney, B McEvoy (0-2)

Subs: J Johnston for C Rooney (H-T), J Devlin for B McEvoy (53mins), T Fettes for A Branagan (58mins), E Branagan for M Rooney (59mins)

Clonduff: M Devlin; J Brown, S Close, D O'Hagan; J Gribben, J O'Hagan, B Britton; S Carr, T Close; C Murray, R Carr (0-4,1tp, 1tpf), E Brown (0-4,1tp, 1f); D Rafferty, A McConville (0-4,2tp), C Carr

Subs: S McConville (0-1) for Murray (40mins), B O'Hagan (0-4,2tp) for J Gribben (46mins), T McEvoy for J O’Hagan (58mins)

Referee: Brendan Rice