Ulster Club SFC: Stalemate in Newry

November 04, 2013

Kilcoo's Martin Devlin and Crossmaglen's Conor O'Neill. INPHO
Kilcoo 2-9
Crossmaglen 1-12
(after extra-time)

Crossmaglen and Kilcoo played out an ill-tempered draw in the Ulster Club SFC quarter-final at Newry yesterday.

There were flash points on the field and in the stand and normal and extra-time failed to separate the sides.

Kilcoo's right half-back Darragh O'Hanlon pointed a 50m free in the 81st minute to send the contest to a replay at an Armagh venue.

Crossmaglen - who are chasing a fourth Ulster Club SFC title in a row - fielded minus the services of Aaron Kernan who is sidelined for two months with an Achilles injury and they had no answer to their Down opponents in the early exchanges.

Ryan Johnson's 11th minute goal boosted Jim McCorry's side to a 1-3 to 0-0 lead after 16 minutes.

Tony Kernan got Cross off the mark from a free in the 21st minute and they trailed by 0-3 to 1-3 at half-time.

With five minutes of regulation time left, the Armagh champions were staring the exit door in the face when they were four points down but a Stephen Kernan goal and a point from Martin Aherne forced extra-time.

Joe Kernan's men took the lead for the first time with a point by Tony Kernan seven minutes into extra-time time but a Paul Greenan goal put Kilcoo back in front.

A brace from Kyle Brennan levelled mattered again and points from Johnny Hanratty and the influential Tony Kernan saw Cross seize the initiative.

There was still time, however, for Kilcoo to send over two late points from frees to leave the sides deadlocked at the final whistle.

Kilcoo - S Kane; N Branagan, N McEvoy, D Branagan; D O'Hanlon (0-4, 3f), S O'Hanlon, Gerard McEvoy (0-1); P Greenan (1-0), Aidan Branagan; P Devlin (0-3, 1f), A Devlin, R Johnston (1-1); J Johnston, C Laverty, Gary McEvoy. Subs: F McGreevy for J Johnston, Aaron Branagan for A Devlin, J McClean for McGreevy, Sean Devlin for Gary McEvoy, S Devlin for A Branagan, M Devlin for R Johnston, N Morgan for M Devlin.

Crossmaglen - P Hearty; P Hughes, P McKeown, S Finnegan; M Aherne (0-1), G Carragher, D O'Callaghan; J Hanratty (0-1), S Kernan (1-1); P Og Grant, T Kernan (0-6f), M McNamee; K Brennan (0-2), K Carragher, C Cumiskey (0-1). Subs: D McKenna for Brennan, C O'Neill for McNamee, M Boyce for Cumiskey, K Brennan for Grant.

Referee - B Cassidy.

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