Determined Kilcoo find a bit extra to oust ’Barrs in semi thriller
AIDAN BRANAGAN cut a relieved figure after Kilcoo braved an extra-time epic to seal their return to the AIB All-Ireland Club SFC final.
The dogged Down men were on the brink of victory late in normal time at when, with the scores level, Paul Devlin stood over a free to win it.
However, Brendan Cawley cancelled the kick when Kilcoo sub Aidan Branagan tangled with Barrs player Adam Lyne elsewhere —earning himself a red card. Cawley blew for full-time moments later and the sides got ready for extra-time at 1-10 each.
Thankfully for Branagan, his team-mates bailed him out in the extra 20 minutes or so with a commanding display that keeps their hopes of a maiden All-Ireland title intact.
Devlin, Ceilum Doherty and goalkeeper Niall Kane all struck a brace of points as the beaten 2020 finalists outscored Barrs by 0-8 to 0-3. Steven Sherlock registered 010 for the Barrs this time but all his scores came from frees and the underdogs went from the third minute to the 77th without recording a point from play.
The Cork outfit finished with 14 players after Jamie Burns’ straight red card deep into extratime for a clash with Doherty.
Ryan Johnston struck an early 1-1 for the Ulster side but Sherlock’s frees and an Eoin McGreevy goal turned the game on its head.
Underdogs St Finbarr’s led 1-5 to 1-3 at half-time and stretched the gap to six with another point from Sherlock after the restart.
That would prove the high point of a difficult afternoon for the Munster men as Kilcoo rallied with four points in a row.
Sheelan Johnston, Devlin, Kane and Eugene Branagan sniped those scores between the 34th and 44th minutes.
The sides were level five times in the closing 20 minutes or so and, at 1-10 apiece, it looked like Devlin would secure the win deep into stoppage time.
He was fouled for a 64th minute free after being picked out by Daryl Branagan but sub Aidan Branagan’s moment of madness led to the kick being cancelled by Cawley.
GAA rules controversially allow teams to return to 15 for extratime and Justin Clarke came on for Kilcoo - mitigating the impact of the red card.
Points from Kane and Anthony Morgan at the start of extra-time put Mickey Moran’s side into a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Kilcoo: N Kane; N Branagan, R McEvoy, Aaron Branagan; M Rooney (T Fettes h/t e/t), D Branagan, E Branagan (M Hynes 70+1); D Ward, Aaron Morgan (Aidan Branagan 57, J Clarke e/t); C Doherty, J Johnston, S Johnston; C Laverty (Anthony Morgan 43), R Johnston (Laverty 69), P Devlin.
scorers: P Devlin 0-5 (0-2f), R Johnston 1-1, N Kane 0-3 (0-2f, 0-1 45), D Branagan, C Doherty 0-2, E Branagan, S Johnston, A Morgan, M Rooney, A Branagan 0-1. st finbarr’s: J Kerins; S Ryan, J Burns, C Scully (B O’Connell 69); C Lyons, B Hennessy, A O’Connor (McGreevy 76); I Maguire, E Comyns (L Hannigan 61); D O’Brien (C Barrett 41), S Sherlock, B Hayes (C Walsh 69); C Myers-Murray (E Dennehy 41), E McGreevy (M Shields 51), C McCrickard (A Lyne 58).
scorers: S Sherlock 0-10 (0-10f), E McGreevy 1-1 (0-1f), C Myers-Murray, C Barrett 0-1.
referee: J Cawley (Kildare).