Kilcoo goal blitz sinks Scotstown in Ulster semi-final

Kilcoo 5-10 Scotstown 0-14

Kilcoo slipped through the gears and into overdrive with four goals in a devastating eight-minute blitz either side of half-time to overwhelm Scotstown at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.

This was a consummate performance by Karl Lacey's side as they avenged last year’s semi-final defeat to qualify for a fourth Ulster Club SFC final in six years.

Those goals gave them total control of the direction of a tie which their opponents were forced to chase frantically, the pre-match game plan abandoned long before the finish.

Two Miceal Rooney strikes and goals from Christopher Rooney and Ceilum Doherty along with a Shane Carey o.g. torpedoed the hopes of the Monaghan kingpins, while the Down men pushed on confidently with their pursuit of a third provincial title in six years.

Scotstown’s courageous press while playing into the wind was resisted by a Kilcoo side that forced a string of turnovers and transitioned with accuracy and pace as they settled into the game with a 0-3 to 0-1 lead by the ninth minute.

Anthony Morgan, Ryan Johnston and goalkeeper Niall Kane were all on target as they fed off the dash of Shealan Johnston along the left flank and the composure and vision of Eugene Branagan down the right.

But a rash of wides opened the door for the Monaghan men to fight back and draw level by the 24th minute.

Rory Beggan drilled a free between the posts and Conor McCarthy made it 0-4 each, with midfielder Micheal McCarville driving their challenge and a strong press f4om deep from Kieran Hughes and Ryan O’Toole.

However, Kilcoo stepped up the tempo in the closing stages of the half, creating three goal chances and taking two of them to get themselves in control of the tie.

Ceilum Doherty and Jack Devlin