Gaelic Games

Kilcoo thrash Maghery to reach Ulster club final

McIver’s side complete 13-point demolition with Armagh captain Aidan Forker sent off

Conor Laverty during Kilcoo’s comfortable Ulster semi-final win over Maghery. Photograph: Inpho/Philip Magowan
Sun Nov 13 2016 - 17:09

Kilcoo (Down) 4-13 Maghery (Armagh) 0-12

Kilcoo eased into the Ulster Senior Final with a 13-point demolition of 14-man Maghery in Newry to set-up a mouth-watering clash with Derry champions Slaughtneil.

Paul McIver’s men were helped by the dismissal of Armagh captain Aidan Forker just before the break but, in truth, the result was only going one way at that stage as the men in black cruised through.

Conor Mackle and Paul Devlin exchanged frees in the opening six minutes before Kilcoo took control of the game to rattle off four points in a row and they were also denied a goal before the quarter hour.

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Eugene Branagan, in for injured brother Aidan, put the Down champions ahead before Maghery ’keeper Johnny Montgomery raced off his line quickly to smother Ceilum Doherty’s ninth minute goal attempt.

Further scores from Doherty, Devlin and Ryan Johnston put Paul McIver’s men in a commanding position at the midway stage of the half with a 0-5 to 0-1 lead. The Armagh side replied with points from Aidan Forker (free) and Mackle either side of another Devlin free, but Kilcoo were still very much in the ascendancy.

Paul Devlin’s third free of the half was added to by Martin Devlin on 27 minutes before Kilcoo got their first goal a minute later. Johnston, who had only been moved to full forward seconds earlier, finished off a sweeping move to skin Ciaran Higgins for speed before lashing high past Montgomery.

Aidan Forker pulled one back with a free in stoppage time but was then shown a straight red card after a minor fracas on the Kilcoo 21-metre line.

Despite being down to 14 men, Maghery scored the opening point of the second half through Ronan Lappin on 32 but the Magpies notched their second 60 seconds later when Doherty palmed in after Laverty had lifted the ball over the keeper to make it 2-8 to 0-5 and render the tie all but over.

Two Stefan Forker frees, a free from Seamus Forker and a point from Niall Forker staged a mini-revival for Maghery but Kilcoo hit back to put no doubt as to the victors with Aaron Morgan fisting over, and then they hit two goals in less than two minutes to go 4-9 to 0-9 in front.

The first arrived when sub JJ McLoughlin finished from close range before Doherty nipped in to stab home his second goal of the day.

Ryan Johnston and Donal Kane tagged on more points to extend the gap to 14 and while Ben Crealey and Stefan Forker pulled a couple back it was irrelevant as Kilcoo added further scores from Johnston and Gerard McEvoy. Stefan Forker did score the last point of the day but the Down side moved into their first final since 2012.

Kilcoo: N Kane; N McEvoy, D O'Hanlon, N Branagan; D Branagan, E Branagan (0-1), Aaron Branagan; J McClean, F McGreevy; C Doherty (2-1), A Morgan (0-1), R Johnston (1-3); M Devlin (0-1), Paul Devlin (0-4, 3f), C Laverty. Subs: D Kane (0-1, free) for E Branagan (H-T), Gary McEvoy for M Devlin (45mins), JJ McLoughlin (1-0) for N McEvoy (45mins), Gerard McEvoy (0-1) for D Branagan (53mins), N Morgan for McGreevy (53mins), Patrick Devlin for Paul Devlin (56mins)

Maghery: J Montgomery; K Nugent, O Lappin, G Campbell; D Lavery, C Higgins, N Forker (0-1); J Lavery, B Crealey (0-1); E Scullion, C Mackle (0-2), Stefan Forker (0-4, 2f); R Lappin (0-1), A Forker (0-2, both frees), S Cusack. Subs: S Fox for Scullion (25mins), Seamus Forker (0-1) for Mackle (40mins), P Forker for Campbell (40mins), S Tennyson for Laverty (51mins), Jack Lavery for Lappin (53mins)

Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)