Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BROTHERS IN FOR THE KIL’
Johnston boys to the fore as Down men hit form to make Last 4
2-14
1-7
BY KARL O’KANE
IN the end Kilcoo’s sheer dominance in this Ulster quarter-final encounter left Jerome Johnston’s predicament as a mere footnote.
The build-up to the game was dominated by the news that Ballybay joint-manager Johnston had taken a step back from his role and wouldn’t manage against his three sons.
Johnston’s boys all started, while the man himself didn’t attend the game.
“Look, you can’t ignore it,” said Kilcoo manager Conleith Gilligan.
“You obviously have sons. The boys (Ryan, Jerome and Shealan) were brilliant within the team.
“I’ve never seen them as focused and there was a wee bit of pressure on them coming into the game because of it.
“I thought they performed really well. It was a difficult situation for everybody. I thought Jerome handled it brilliantly and it’s just unfortunate the way it turned out.”
Ryan was one of the stars of the show, firing 1-1, while Jerome looked sharp inside, and on another day could have had three or four points, rather than the one he got to go with three wides.
The game was all but over when Ryan refused a handy fisted point on 34 minutes to slam his shot to the roof of the net for a five point lead after superb set up play from influential leaders Darryl Branagan and Conor Laverty.
Kilcoo always looked like they had the capabilities to manage it out from there, and it already appeared that Ballybay were going to need two goals to win it.
Ballybay had a couple of sniffs at goal but Kilcoo full back, Ryan Mcevoy, who hit a point from play and another from a free, blocked Thomas Kerr and Aaron Toner blazed over on 52 minutes with Drew Wylie free inside him and a major on that would have reduced the deficit to three points.
“He’s (Mcevoy) so solid and he’s a full-back who wants to play centre-forward and that’s the joy of Ryan,” said Gilligan.
“Without singling anybody out, he’s just a super lad. He’s the very first person on the training pitch every single night – kicking, practising. He’s just a good young fella.”
The Down champions carved out a series of goal chances themselves with a goal line clearance from Ceilum Doherty on 50 minutes and a save by goalie Julius Sniauksta from Dylan Ward a minute later preventing the scoreline turning ugly for Ballybay.
Kilcoo’s second goal came on 59 minutes when Miceal Rooney was on the end of yet another slick hand passing move to fire to the net.
Ballybay’s best moment came when Colm Lennon’s point attempt came off the post on 15 minutes and fell to Daniel Caraher, who was fouled by Kilcoo goalie Niall Kane.
Christopher Mcguinness stroked the penalty home and the scores were level at 0-4 to 1-1.
KILCOO: N Kane (0-1, 45), N Branagan, R Mcevoy (0-2, 1f), Aarin Branagan (0-2), M Rooney (1-0), D Branagan, Anthony Morgan, Aaron Morgan, D Ward, C Doherty (0-2), R Johnston (1-1), S Johnston, P Devlin (0-4, 3fs, 1 45), J Johnston (0-1, mk), C Laverty (0-1).
SUBS: T Fettes for Anthony Morgan 39mins,
S Og Mccusker for Doherty 52mins, Aidan Branagan for N Branagan 60mins, C Rooney for R Johnston 61mins, M Hynes for Rooney 61mins. BALLYBAY: J Sniauksta, M Hannon, T Mcskean, E Mckearney, S Monaghan, C Lennon (0-2), R Wylie, D Wylie, D Ward (0-1, f), C Galligan, S Mcguinness (1-0, pen), D Caraher, P Finlay
(0-2, 1f), C Mcguinness, T Kerr (0-1, 45).
SUBS: A Toner (0-1) for Carraher ht, B Wylie for Monaghan 50mins, P O’neill for Mckearney 56mins, S Mcqullian for D Wylie 61mins, T Keenan for Finlay 61mins.
REFEREE: N Cullen (Fermanagh)