Of all the ways to lose a match and all the ways to win one, the unanswerable kick deep into injury-time takes all the beating. Kilcoo have had plenty of days on the right side of that equation – they won their All-Ireland that way – but in Newry, at the death, they could only stand and watch as a killer Rory Beggan free put Scotstown through to the Ulster semi-final.
The Monaghan champions came from four points down midway through the second half to win by 0-12 to 1-8 and set up a last-four clash against Trillick in a fortnight. A team with intercounty quality sprinkled through should have a better Ulster record – two final appearances (and two final defeats) since their current run began in 2013 needs improving.
“I counted today that since 2013, we’ve won five out 11 games,” said manager David McCague. “We wouldn’t be happy with that. Now we have six out of 12. For a team with the standard of player we have, the experience we have, we wouldn’t be happy with that.
“And that’s reflected in the conversations we’ve had all week, led by the players. They haven’t been happy with that record. We’ve a lot to live up to in our club. We have fellas in the crowd there with four Ulster club medals. That’s the legacy we’ve been left with. That’s the aspiration we have. And we love chasing it and we love going after it.”
For Kilcoo, this will sting. They had control of the game after a Paul Devlin penalty gave them a cushion. But they were untypically wasteful in possession when it came down to it in injury-time – the free that won it for Scotstown came from a wild clearance when all Kilcoo had to do was see the game out.
“That’s the way it goes at this level,” said Kilcoo manager Karl Lacey. “Every little decision you make, your skills, your hand-passing, your first touch, everything has to be nailed on. At four points, you do have to kick on and keep increasing the gap. We never got that opportunity in the game, that’s credit to Scotstown. They kept at it, kept chasing and started to put us on the back foot again.”
Elsewhere around the country, most of the provincial club games in both codes more or less went as expected. Gowna almost pulled off an upset against Donegal champions Naomh Chonaill but were nailed by a last-minute goal from Kevin McGettigan, 2-8 to 1-10. They will play Derry champion Glen, who saw off Cargin with a 0-11 to 0-7 victory in Celtic Park.
In Munster, Castlehaven needed extra-time to get past Cratloe, while Clonmel put Newcastle West away with a minimum of fuss. It was the same story in Connacht, where Roscommon stalwarts St Brigid’s were far too strong for Coolera-Strandhill of Sligo.
In hurling, a stunning second half by Offaly champions Kilcormac-Killoughey was enough to dispose of Naomh Éanna in Wexford Park. The visitors trailed the Wexford champions by 0-11 to 0-9 at half-time but two goals in a minute soon after the restart by James Gorman and Adam Screeney completely changed the tenor of the afternoon. Naomh Éanna, who were playing their first hurling match in three months, were holed beneath the waterline and eventually went down to a 2-22 to 0-14 defeat.
“There was a very strong breeze here in Wexford Park,” said Screeney, after a brilliant display which he ended with 1-7 against his name. “To be honest, coming down here to play a Wexford crowd isn’t easy but we were delighted to be in the dressingroom two points down because we knew we’d come out in the second half and we’d come out of the blocks quicker.
“It looks like an open championship and hopefully we’ll give it our best. It’s the club’s first time in six years so we’re just delighted to be back and in fairness to the older crew they’re bringing us in well.”
Kilcormac-Killoughey will meet O’Loughlin Gaels in the semi-final, after the Kilkenny champions put Mount Leinster Rangers away on a 2-16 to 0-13 scoreline. There were wins too for Na Fianna, who beat Westmeath’s Raharney 1-24 to 0-19 on their first ever match outside the Dublin championship, and Naas, who beat Camross of Laois 2-17 to 1-17.
