Ulster Club SFC: Treble joy for history making Slaughtneil
November 27, 2016
Kilcoo's Aidan Branagan in action with Slaughtneil's Paul Bradley.
©INPHO/Presseye.
Slaughtneil completed the final leg of a famous Ulster club treble when scraping over Kilcoo on a scoreline of 0-12 to 0-9 in today's Ulster Club SFC final at the Athletic Grounds.
Having already claimed provincial hurling and camogie honours, the footballers fulfilled their end of the bargain when withstanding a determined second-half comeback from their Down opponents to capture their second Ulster success in two years.
An official attendance of 9,125 witnessed history in the making and the Mickey Moran managed outfit will be looking to continue their winning ways when they face St Kiernan's of London in an All-Ireland Club SFC quarter-final early in the new year.
Slaughtneil's Francis McEldowney lifts the Ulster club SFC trophy.
©INPHO/Presseye.
The winners of that tie will advance to a last four showdown with the winners of the Leinster SFC final, St Vincent's v Rhode.
A strong second quarter showing, which included late points from Christopher Bradley and Cormac O'Doherty, sent Slaughtneil in at the break with a 0-9 to 0-5 advantage.
The Paul McIver coached Kilcoo fought back to reduce the deficit to the minimum - 0-10 to 0-9 - with nine minutes left to play but two unanswered Slaughneil points, from Shane McGuigan (free) and Paul Bradley, put the game beyond Kilcoo's reach.
The Down kingpins will regret the black card shown to James McClean in the 39th minute while Slaughtneil 'keeper Antoin McMullan denied Eugene Branagan with a superb save when the game was very much in the melting pot late on.
Slaughtneil - A McMullan; F McEldowney, B Rogers (0-2), K McKaigue; P McNeill, C McKaigue (0-1), K Feeney; Patsy Bradley, P Cassidy; Shane McGuigan (0-5, 2f), Paul Bradley (0-2f), M McGrath; C Bradley (0-1), Se McGuigan, C O'Doherty (0-1). Subs: R Bradley for M McGrath, G Bradley for Se McGuigan, B Cassidy for C O'Doherty.
Kilcoo - N Kane; E Branagan, D O'Hanlon (0-2f), N Branagan; D Branagan (0-1), Aidan Branagan, Aaron Branagan; J McClean, JJ McLoughlin; C Doherty (0-3), A Morgan, R Johnston (0-1); M Devlin (0-1), P Devlin (0-1f), C Laverty. Subs: F McGreevy for J McClean (BC), D Kane for JJ McLoughlin.
Referee - S Hurson.
TweetThis is history. One club, three codes. #TheToughest #CandC pic.twitter.com/QkuoHD2EQ8
- Derry GAA (@Doiregaa) November 27, 2016
