Kilcar (Donegal) 1-16 Scotstown ( Monaghan) 1-6
A faster, slicker Kilcar proved too potent for Scotstown in a one sided contest that saw them book their place in the semi-final of the Ulster club senior football championship for the first time in their history.
Scotstown had slightly the better of things in the opening quarter thanks to a goal by Conor McCarthy after just 4 minutes. By the break Kilcar had turned things around as they registered 1-6 without reply in the final 10 minutes of the half, the goal a brilliant solo effort by Eoin McHugh. The Donegal champions led 1-10 to 1-3 at half time.
Scotstown made a good start to the second-half with two points in the opening minute and a half from Conor McCarthy and Ross McKenna. Normal service was soon restored as Kilcar again got a grip on proceedings and held Scotstown to just one further point for the remainder of the game, while registering six themselves. They were denied a second goal with a brilliant save by Rory Beggan, but still ran out 10 point winners.
Kilcar: E McGinley, P McGinley, C McShane, P Carr, R McHugh 0-5 (2f), M Hegarty, B Shovlin, C McGinley 0-1, M McHugh, A McClean, E McHugh 1-0, C Doherty, S Shovlin, P McBrearty 0-8 (4f), S McBrearty 0-1. Subs: M Sweeney for A McClean, A Carr for S McBrearty, A McGinley 0-1 for P McBrearty.
Scotstown: R Beggan 0-1 (f), F McPhillips, W Carroll, S Mohan, D Morgan, D McArdle, E Caulfield, F Caulfield, J Hamill, S Carey 0-1, K Hughes, R McKenna 0-2, P Sherlock, D Hughes, C McCarthy 1-2. Subs: D McCrudden for J Hamill, O Heaphey for R McKenna, M McCarville for S Carey, K McMeel for S Mohan (Black Card).
Referee: C Branagan (Down).
Cavan Gaels 1-19 Lámh Dhearg 0-10
Cavan Gaels notched 1-17 from play as they put Antrim champions Lámh Dhearg to the sword at Kingspan Breffni Park.
The hosts were a class apart in terms of fitness, finishing and finesse in a thoroughly one-sided quarter-final.
The visitors were in trouble from the off and a Micheál Lyng goal after 14 inutes left them trailing by 0-1 to 1-7.
The Belfast-based Antrim champions manufactured one clear-cut goal chance in the first half but Domhnall Nugent fired wide in the 26th minute after playing a neat one-two with Ciaran Flaherty.
The Antrim men worked in dervish-like fashion but apart from the tricky Paddy Cunningham, they were punchless in the final third.
The Gaels eased into a 1-11 to 0-5 half time lead and the only mystery was that they failed to score more than just a single goal.
On a perfect day for football, Lámh Dearg - making their first appearance in the competition since 1992 - carved out one goal chance in the second half but Gaels’ ‘keeper Flynn won the race for possession ahead of Conor Murray, after Patrick Cunningham’s shot struck the upright in the 35th minute.
The second half was a pedestrian, predictable affair with the Gaels happy to empty their bench and consolidate their healthylead.
To their credit, the visitors battled to the last and they notched the last two points via Cunningham and Ryan Murray but they were scores with the word consolation stamped all over them.
Cavan Gaels: Ciaran Flynn; Luke Fortune, Niall Murray, Kevin Meehan; Darragh Sexton, Barry Fortune (0-1), Levi Murphy(0-1); Paul Graham, Robert Maloney-Derham (0-3); Niall Smith, Micheál Lyng (1-2), Andrew Graham; Paul O'Connor, Sean Johnston (0-5, 1f), Martin Dunne (0-6, 1f). Subs: D Meehan for A Graham (43); V Coyle for N Smith (53); D Graham (0-1) for M Lyng (56); K Donohoe for P Graham (57); S Higgins for K Meehan (58); John Fortune for D Sexton (61).
Lámh Dhearg: John Finucane: Padraig Mervyn, Aaron McAulfield, Marc McGarry; Declan Lynch, Michael Herron, Brendan McComb; Pearse Fitzsimons, Domhnall Nugent; Eoin McKeown (0-1), Ciaran Flaherty, Conor Murray; Patrick Cunningham (0-6, 5f), Ryan Murray (0-3), Kevin Quinn. Subs: Christopher Nolan for M McGarry (34); Patrick Larkin for P Fitzsimons (B.C 42); Ben Rice for D Nugent (46); Gerard Slane for B McComb (52); Stephen Tully for E McKeown (57).
Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)
