KILCOO 1-12 BURREN 0-13
Kilcoo produced the goods again when it mattered and continued their dominance in Down with a 10 th title since 2009.
Kilcoo joint-captain Conor Laverty, who managed the Down U21s to the Ulster title this year, has been there through it all from the dark days to the glory days and was delighted to lift the Frank O’Hare Cup again after beating Burren in Pairc Esler.
“For a long time we put our lives on hold to win one championship, never mind 10,” he said.
“Since the early 2000s we suffered a lot of heartbreaks and a lot of defeats, but we gave it everything we had to get over the line so to win 10 feels incredible.”
Burren, the only team to stop the Magpies in 2018, needed a good start but it was Kilcoo, the reigning Ulster champions from 2019, who put down an early marker with Jerome Johnston’s fifth minute-goal.
Kilcoo led from start to finish with Ryan Johnston putting in a superb shift with four points from play in a man-of-the-match performance.
The Magpies’ soaked up anything Burren could throw at them, broke with searing pace and were clinical enough to convert most of the chances they created.
Burren undoubtedly suffered because of the absence of injured Liam Kerr who was their star player throughout their campaign and Kilcoo, despite a few close shaves during the season, never really looked like finishing up on the losing side.
Johnston’s brilliant left-footed across the goal set the tone and they built on that platform with points from Miceal Rooney, Shealin and Ryan Johnston.
Burren relied on frees and a ‘45’ from Danny Magill and 23 minutes elapsed before they hit the first point from play from Ronan McGrath. Kilcoo led 1-7 to 0-5 at half time.
Eugene Branagan made a point for Ryan Johnston to finish and despite the loss of Anthony Morgan with a black card, they held firm with Ryan McEvoy and Paul Devlin converting frees.
The closest Burren, managed by Jim McCorry who led Kilcoo to a hat-trick of Down titles in 2012-2014, could get was to within two points.
Anthony Morgan returned to the pitch and nailed the clinching score for Kilcoo who will take on Cavan champions, either Gowna or Ramor, in the first defence of their Ulster title.
Kilcoo : N Kane; N Branagan, R McEvoy (0-1, f), D Branagan; M Rooney (0-1), A Morgan (0-1), A Branagan; D Ward, A Morgan; C Doherty, J Johnston (1-0), P Devlin (0-3, 3f); C Laverty, R Johnston (0-4), S Johnston (0-2)
Subs : E Branagan for D Branagan (28), A Branagan for S Johnston (HT), J Clarke for E Branagan (57), F McGreevy for C Laverty (60)
Burren : C Burns; P McCarthy, S Fegan, R Magill; C McGovern, A McAvoy, P Fegan; M McKay, K McKernan; R McGrath (0-2), O Murdock, D O’Hare (0-7, 7f); D Magill (0-1, a ‘45’), D McEntee, G McGovern
Subs : C Toner for A McAvoy (HT), R Treanor for C McGovern (41), S McArdle (0-2) for McKay (49), P Poland for McGrath (54)
Referee : Brendan Rice
