Kilcoo survive Clonduff scare

Kilcoo survive Clonduff scare

8 October 2025

KILCOO rode their luck to overcome the challenge of underdogs Clonduff and move to within one step of a seventh consecutive Down Senior Championship.

After trailing to Loughinisland at the mid-way point in the quarter-finals, and requiring a recovery job to get over the line, the Magpies were handed the same task when a series of Clonduff two-pointers created a one-point buffer at the break.

The two sides went back and forth in the second half, with the Hilltown men taking it to the wire, and Charlie Carr had the opportunity to deliver them to their first county final in nine years.

However, his stoppage-time free sailed wide, meaning Kilcoo had done enough to book their place in the decider and take aim at championship number 23.

With the reigning champions claiming possession from the throw-in, their opponents failed to contain Anthony Morgan as he slipped his marker and opened the scoring with a classy point.

Clonduff may not have come flying out of the blocks, but Morgan’s score forced them to break free from their shell, and they conjured up a response that gave their rivals something to think about.

Straight from the kick-out, the ball was fed to Arthur McConville, who sent a blinding strike between the posts for the first two-pointer of the evening.

Kilcoo equalised monetarily, through Barra McEvoy, but the Yellas wasted no time in raising the orange flags once again, courtesy of Eamon Brown.

From there, however, Martin Corey’s men embarked on a dominant period, showing the type of form that has seen them dominate Down, following a Ceilum Doherty major up with a Ryan Johnston point and establishing a lead of two.

Anyone would have been forgiven for thinking one-way traffic would ensue, given the Magpies’ history, but Clonduff were intent on causing an upset.

Brown traded scores with Barra McEvoy, before Carr stepped up with the third Hilltown two-pointer, levelling the scoring. 

Again, Kilcoo restored a brief lead, edging in front through a Daryl Branagan point, yet Carr could not be silenced, forcing the advantage to switch allegiance with his second two-pointer.

Goalkeeper Niall Kane levelled from a free and while parity would have been a fair assessment at the interval, Brown was having none of it, opening a minimal gap at the change of ends.

Paul Devlin and McConville (free) went blow-for-blow after the restart, leaving the gap standing at one point, but the former soon squared the scoring, finishing off a fine team move.

Still, Kilcoo failed to kick on, becoming bogged down in wides, and the belief started to set in amongst the Clonduff contingent.

McConville made an expert run to connect with Brown’s free-kick and fist over for yet another one-point lead. Devlin was the man to draw level yet again, and he went a step further this time, setting his side in the ascendancy with a curling two-point free.

Clonduff were in danger of suffering the same fate as the Louginisland side that Kilcoo dispatched in the previous round, falling victim to an array of late points, however, manager Gearoid Adams made a move that boosted their chances.

The introduction of substitute Barry O’Hagan had the desired impact, as he came off the bench to hit a pair of two-pointers with his first two touches. Corey’s team came back swinging though, with Branagan firing over from outside the arc.

The dying embers were as action-packed as the rest of the game, as Kilcoo made a late charge towards the final.

Devlin and Doherty pointed either side of Stephen McConville splitting the posts, but it was Clonduff who would be awarded the chance to settle the tie.

Arthur McConville was brought down around the 45-metre mark and Carr stepped up for the free, aiming to be the man to complete an unlikely coup.

However, he failed to grasp the opportunity, sending an effort wide of the uprights and allowing Kilcoo to return to Senior Championship action by the skin of their teeth.

Clonduff: M Devlin, J Brown, S Close, D O’Hagan, J Gribben, J O’Hagan, B Britton, S Carr, T Close, C Murray, R Carr, E Brown, D Rafferty, A McConville, C Carr. Subs: S McConville, B O’Hagan, T McEvoy.

Kilcoo: N Kane, C Rogers, R McEvoy, N Branagan, M Rooney, D Branagan, A Branagan, Aaron Morgan, Anthony Morgan, C Doherty, R Johnston, S Johnston, P Devlin, C Rooney, B McEvoy. Subs: J Johnston, J Devlin, T Fettes, E Branagan.

Clonduff 0-17

Kilcoo 1-15

DOWN SFC SEMI-FINAL