Ulster Club SFC final
Kilcoo v Errigal Ciaran
Sunday, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 3.30pm

By Michael McMullan

THERE were beaming lights from both Kilcoo and Errigal Ciaran as they booked their spot for Sunday’s showdown.

Kilcoo banged five goals past a Scotstown team who edged the Magpies on their way to last year’s final.

For Errigal Ciaran, it was Ruairi Canavan who shone brightest with a nine-point haul including some sensational scores. Older brother Darragh was at the centre of many of their moves.

Kilcoo will have been looking on, with a focus on limiting the impact of the dynamic duo this weekend.

Enda McGinley will have dug his way into Kilcoo’s performance. Two things will stand out.

There was a degree of fortune with how the Down champions held a seven-point interval lead.

A Rory Beggan save pushed the ball into the head of Shane Carey before it spun to the net for an own goal. The second goal came when a ball pinged down off the post to the waiting arms of Chrissy Rooney.

The second, and more worrying point for McGinley, will be how luck had nothing to do with Kilcoo’s win. They were full value for it.

They were uncharacteristically wasteful in the first half. It was the opposite to what we have come to expect.

The biggest takeaway was Kilcoo’s pace. And Shealan Johnston was the epitome of it. Blistering speed. Scotstown had no answer.

It was Kilcoo’s use of the ball. Darryl Branagan and Ryan McEvoy were their pillars of strength.

Once they got their hands on the leather, watching Kilcoo was like watching pinball. You could only imagine the numerous games of hot potato or something similar. The three second game. The one touch game.

Looking on, you could almost picture their games under the lights, under the lip of Lough Island Reavey.

It’s how they keep the ball moving, with angled runs, out of the tackle, that make them difficult to tie down. And that’s without Aaron Branagan who could be closer to a return.

Kilcoo have scored nine goals in their seven championship games. Five came against Scotstown. But they’ve conceded only two.

Errigal have shipped eight goals in nine games with only two players hitting the net.

Odhran Robinson’s 2-1 was central to them getting a replay against Clonoe while Peter Harte’s 1-2 broke Killyclogher in the semi-final.

Sunday is a novel pairing, a first ever championship meeting.

It’s a first final for Errigal Ciaran since 2002, their fifth in all. Kilcoo have won two of their five finals to date.

What comes before that is a total contrast. Kilcoo’s Down title in 2009 was a first in 72 years. Since that, it’s been dominance, with 13 wins in 16 seasons.

Tyrone is nigh on impossible to retain. After Errigal’s first title in 1993, they backed it up 12 months later. Since their formation in 1990, on average, they’ve won the O’Neill Cup once every four years.

They’ve buckets of experience with a host of players – including manager McGinley – having pulled the Red Hand jersey over their heads.

McGinley spoke in the aftermath of their win over Clann Éireann about the ability to win ugly. It’s perhaps a contradiction in terms. In championship football, it’s all about winning.

Kilcoo spent a few years getting hockeyed by Mayobridge before their league consistency morphed into the 2009 championship win. Since that, they’ve always found a way to win.

That’s why they’ll have been hurt after losing to Scotstown last year. It was the kind of game they made a habit of winning.

In finals, they were hammered early on by Crossmaglen in the 2012 final before having a cut at it to leave themselves in a game.

Sleacht Néill controlled the 2016 final with Glen coming through the key moments in 2022.

Kilcoo know if they are to avoid another Ulster final defeat, putting a lid on the Canavan brothers come top of the to do list.

Ryan McEvoy and Niall Branagan are their go-to man markers but it’s hard to imagine Karl Lacey leaving them on their own.

The danger is using too many bodies to close the space. St Eunan’s closed that door but left the far wing for Ben McDonnell and Tommy Canavan to notch the winning points.

McDonnell and Joe Oguz will be up against in-form duo Aaron and Anthony Morgan. If it’s left along, it has the makings of an interesting two on two tussle.

Kilcoo have Ryan and Jerome Johnston to chip in with scores. Cormac Quinn is likely to pick up Jerome inside.

Their problem will be having someone to run with Shealan Johnston. It could be a job for Tiarnan Colhoun on a follow and don’t worry about anybody else mission.

Paul Devlin missed the win over Scotstown, deemed not 100 per cent. If he starts on Sunday, it offers a different dimension to Kilcoo’s play. He has been a regular scoring ace since he was flung in as an u-16 back in the day.

There is the Conor Laverty card. He wasn’t needed against Scotstown. The game was done by that point but his four key touches against Crosserlough translated into scores or meaningful moments.

Sunday’s mission is about lifting the Seamus McFerran Cup as the prize at hand.

While neither will say it, beyond Sunday, the All-Ireland race could open up in front of whoever wins. Ulster are never far away.

Kilcoo’s plan will be to nullify the Canavans and take their chances with everyone else. Errigal will need to tie down the Magpies’ runners.

Neither is anywhere close to as easy as it sounds but Kilcoo’s overall package make them marginal favourites. We’ll see.

Watch our special preview show ahead of Sunday’s Ulster final showdown