Kilcoo 2-9
Crossmaglen Rangers 1-12
A MONSTER FREE from 50 metres by Darragh O’Hanlon earned Kilcoo a draw after extra-time in a bad-tempered Ulster club SFC tie against Crossmaglen.
Kilcoo made most of the running in normal time but Cross hit the front for the first time in extra-time, before O’Hanlon’s huge equaliser set up a replay in the Athletic Grounds next weekend.
Kilcoo out-muscled Cross in the first 20 minutes and led by 1-3 to no score after 16 minutes. Ryan Johnston fisted the ball to the net in the 11th minute after an assist by Conor Laverty as the Down champions made a dream start.
Crossmaglen were slow to settle but got to grips with Kilcoo’s physicality with Tony Kernan’s free after 19 minutes their first score of the day. A further free, and then a crucial point from play from Stephen Kernan left the Ulster champions trailing by just 1-3 to 0-3 at half-time.
Cross closed the gap to a point as Kilcoo went 27 minutes without scoring either side of the break.Paul Devlin scored two points from play as Kilcoo thought they’d weathered the storm.
However a goal from Stephen Kernan breathed new life into Cross in the 56th minute and one minute later Martin Aherne brought them level for the first and only time in the game, to force extra-time at 1-7 apiece.
A Paul Greenan goal in the first-half of extra-time put Kilcoo in charge but Kyle Brennan (two), Tony Kernan and Johnny Hanratty points edged Cross back in front until the last gasp free from O’Hanlon.
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 (24), Aaron Branagan for A Devlin (39), J McClean for McGreevy (39), S Devlin for Gary McEvoy (52)
CROSSMAGLEN RANGERS: 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 (0-6, 6f), M McNamee; K Brennan, K Carragher, C Cumiskey (0-1)
Subs: D McKenna for Brennan (43), C O’Neill for McNamee (53)
Extra-time subs: K Brennan (0-2) for Grant (66)
Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)
