WHILST THE DONEGAL SFC earlier this month gave the purists plenty to moan about, this afternoon at Clones showed the more traditional side of Kilcar.
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<strong>Scotstown 1-6 Kilcar 1-16</strong>
Against a Scotstown, three-in-a-row Monaghan champions with four from five, Barry Doherty’s team recovered from the concession of an early goal to win emphatically at St Tiernach’s Park in the AIB Ulster Club Championship quarter-final.
Kilcar did it emphatically and they did it in style. Patrick McBrearty was imperious, scoring eight points and Eoin McHugh’s first half goal rammed home Kilcar’s advantage just as they were building a head of steam. Ryan McHugh finished the day with five.
Now, on Saturday week, Kilcar, who defeated Naomh Conaill 0-7 to 0-4 to win the Dr Maguire in Donegal for the first time in 24 years, face last year’s All-Ireland finalists Slaughtneil from Derry.
Letting in an early goal today, one might’ve thought, could’ve shown the Towney side’s inexperience at this level. However, Kilcar were quick to learn and their showing late in the first half – outscoring Scotstown 1-6 to 0-0 – laid the foundations.
Scotstown, having conceded the opening score of the day with Patrick McBrearty on the mark for Kilcar, made an immediate and telling response.
From Rory Beggan’s kick-out, Kieran Hughes caught at centre-field and marked, before switching the play to Conor McCarthy on the right. He worked his way inside and showing composure to make an angle was right in front of Kilcar goalkeeper Eamonn McGinley as he shot his team into a 1-0 to 0-1 lead on four minutes.
The clash in styles was obvious, with Scotstown bombing in balls on Darren Hughes and his companions in the full-forward line, whilst Kilcar ran it out from the back as frequently as possible.
From one Beggan clearance, Michael Hegarty intercepted and set Patrick McBrearty away to fist over. Kilcar, breaking even since the concession of the early goal, would’ve been disappointed to see Shane Carey and McCarthy pop over relatively simple points.
But Kilcar were feeling their way into the game and were rewarded with Eoin McHugh’s goal, which was, again, typical Kilcar. Ryan McHugh’s quickly-taken free-kick was into Patrick McBrearty’s breadbasket but the instant lay-off was key. McHugh scampered into space to and shot past Beggan on 23 minutes and suddenly, Kilcar were in business, 1-6 to 1-3 up.
Patrick McBrearty, on fire, enabled his team to go in 1-10 to 1-3 in front at the break, having scored seven times – four from play – in that first half hour.
Ryan McHugh had got in on the act with two late in the half and with Michael Hegarty slotting in alongside Conor McShane in the full-back line and then providing an extra man at midfield when the need arose, Kilcar were looking good as they headed towards the changing rooms to the immense encouragement of their supporters.
Scotstown would hit the opening two scores of the second half to take their deficit down to five – McCarthy and Ross McKenna pointing – before Kilcar clicked back into gear; they were 1-13 to 1-6 up on 45 minutes.
Beggan turned a goalward shot from Ciaran McGinley onto the crossbar nine minutes from time and at the other end from the next play, the home support vowed for a penalty when McCarthy went down under a challenge from Barry McGinley.
Two minutes from time, with Kilcar weathering the storm from the skies on a beautiful autumnal afternoon, Barry Shovlin was alert to claw one off the Kilcar goalline, Ryan McHugh broke free and was more than content to fist over and then finished the day’s scoring with a routine free.
Patrick McBrearty left, replaced by Aodhan McGinley in injury time, to a standing ovation in injury.
For Kilcar, the good times just keep rolling. They’re writing history by the week and there’s still room for another chapter or two. Maybe more?
<strong>Scotstown:</strong> Rory Beggen (0-1, 1f); Fergal McPhilips, William Carroll, Sean Mohan; Donal Morgan, Damien McArdle, Emmet Caufield; Frank Caufield, Kieran Hughes; James Hamill, Shane Carey (0-1), Ross McKenna (0-2); Paul Sherlock, Darren Hughes, Conor McCarthy (1-2). Subs: Dermot McCrudden for Hamill (42) Orin Heaphy for McKenna (44, black card), Michael McCarville for Carey (59).
<strong>Kilcar:</strong> Eamonn McGinley; Barry McGinley, Conor McShane, Pauric Carr; Ryan McHugh (0-5, 2f), Michael Hegarty (0-1), Barry Shovlin; Ciaran McGinley (0-1), Mark McHugh; Andrew McClean, Eoin McHugh (1-0), Conor Doherty; Stephen Shovlin, Patrick McBrearty (0-8, 4f), Stephen McBrearty (0-1). Subs: Matthew McClean for Doherty (42), Mark Sweeney for A McClean (52), Ashley Carr for S McBrearty (56), Aodhan McGinley for P McBrearty (60).
Referee: Ciaran Branagan (Down).
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