Moran’s fury fires Kilcoo to title glory
FOR THE majority of Kilcoo’s journey through the Down, Ulster and All-Ireland championships, manager Mickey Moran has apparently been a low-key presence in the dressing-room.
That all changed at half-time yesterday evening when, with his team trailing by six points and having registered just two themselves, he finally burst into life with what assistant manager Conleith Gilligan described as a rare explosion.
‘It was calm enough for a start,’ smiled Gilligan of the half-time team talk, ‘and then Mickey really gave it good. Every now and again, Mickey does give really cross speeches. He hadn’t done one of those at all this year, he hadn’t even raised his voice but this was the one where he basically asked the boys to stand up and be counted or get their bags and go out onto the bus now.’
Perhaps the rant was fuelled by Moran’s desire to avoid more AllIreland final heartache having experienced so much Croke Park pain in the past while managing Mayo and Slaughtneil.
Or maybe it was motivated by simply watching his normally well drilled team kick away the guts of 1-3 and play second fiddle to a Crokes team chasing club glory for the third time.
Whatever the reasoning, Moran’s words did the trick as Kilcoo took off from there, fighting back to level terms, forcing extra-time and eventually securing the title the club has craved with a goal from Jerome Johnston in the first minute of stoppage time at the end of extra-time.
Johnston slammed the ball home, etching his name in club history.
Yet Moran remained the story afterwards given his own long journey to All-Ireland glory and there were emotional scenes as the media-shy veteran was coaxed up to the podium by joint captain Conor Laverty to help raise the Andy Merrigan Cup.
At the end of a game that swung this way and that, Robbie Brennan’s Crokes looked to have finally pulled decisively clear when Cian O’Connor struck two extra-time points to nudge them two clear having come off the bench once again.
O’Connor had also scored an important point late in normal time, putting Crokes two clear at that stage too, and requiring Paul Devlin to reel off two points in reply to send the game to extratime at 1-7 to 0-10.
It appeared there was no way back for Kilcoo the second time they slipped two behind and with 80 minutes played and Kilmacud in possession, Crokes manager Brennan admitted afterwards that he felt the game was done and dusted.
Unfortunately for him and the Stillorgan side, goalkeeper Conor Ferris darted out of defence to the right wing and punted a dangerous pass back into the midfield area which was collected by a Kilcoo player. Ferris crumpled to the ground at the final whistle as the thoughts of what happened after that errant kick-pass replayed through his mind.
For the record, Kilcoo eventually worked the ball to Ryan Johnston whose initial shot was blocked, the ball deflecting kindly for Jerome Johnston to collect and slam to the net.
Neutrals probably won’t be too enamoured with Kilcoo’s win given their style of play. For their first score in extra-time, for example, they must have passed the ball at least 50 times before Anthony Morgan eventually split the posts.
But after being beaten in the last final to be played in early 2020 after extra-time by Corofin, they will rightfully argue that the end justifies the means.
‘Just an enormous sense of relief, just delight to get over the line, for so many reasons,’ said Gilligan when asked for his immediate reaction.
It was the completion of a full circle for Gilligan who scored a point exactly 20 years ago when Ballinderry beat Nemo Rangers in the All-Ireland decider.
Mind you, Crokes probably should have won this one, even without the injured Paul Mannion.
They led 0-8 to 0-2 at half-time after a strong start and had a Craig Dias goal chance cleared off the line by Miceal Rooney early in the second half. Brennan reckoned if that chance had gone in, Crokes definitely would have won.
Crokes still moved 0-9 to 0-2 clear shortly after but Kilcoo, with Moran’s words still ringing in their ears, then launched their fightback. It climaxed with a bizarre goal from goalkeeper Niall Kane whose kick from a 45 deflected into the net off Crokes defender Ross McGowan.
They all count, particularly when you’re chasing the Holy Grail, and Kilcoo made no apologies as they hunted down Crokes in the closing minutes, eventually forcing extratime thanks to Devlin’s late brace of points.
Truth be told, it wasn’t pretty in the extra 20 minutes but it was damn effective from Kilcoo’s perspective as they finally realised their All-Ireland dream.
KILCoo: N Kane; N Branagan, R McEvoy, Aaron Branagan; M Rooney (S Johnston h-t e-t), D Branagan, E Branagan; D Ward, Aaron Morgan (Aidan Branagan 47-f/t, blood); S Johnston (R Johnston 58), J Johnston (S Og McCusker 81), C Doherty (J Clark 77); P Devlin, R Johnston (A Morgan 35), C Laverty.
SCoRERS: J Johnston 1-1, P Devlin 0-4 (3f), N Kane 1-0 (‘45), C Laverty 0-2, Anthony Morgan 0-1.
KILMACud CRoKES: C Ferris; M Mullin (T Clancy e/t), D O’Brien, R McGowan (Jones 66); A McGowan, R O’Carroll, C O’Shea; B Shovlin, C Dias (C Kinsella 61); S Horan (C Casey 54), A Jones (A Quinn 54), D Mullin (Horan h-t e-t); H Kenny (C Pearson 54), S Cunningham (M O’Leary 70), T Fox (C O’Connor 42).
SCoRERS: C O’Connor 0-3 (2f), S Horan, C Dias, D Mullin (1m) 0-2 each, S Cunningham (1m), A McGowan, T Fox (0-1f), C Pearson 0-1 each.
REfEREE: S Hurson (Tyrone).