Rostrevor
into Minor Final after defeating Kilcoo
Colm Fitzpatrick
MFC semi-final
CHAMPS CRUISE THROUGH TO FINAL
Rostrevor 2-21 Kilcoo 1-6
Rostrevor full-forward, Colm Clerkin
helped himself to a happy haul of 1-13
as the reigning Ulster Champions made
light work of a much younger, less
experienced Kilcoo side in Sundays
one-sided Minor semi-final at a windy
Mayobridge. Magpies simply had no
answer to a Rostrevor team back-boned by
no fewer than seven All-Ireland Minor
medallists, and featuring ten survivors
from the side which won the Ulster Minor
Club Championship last January.
PLATFORM
Reds superiority was founded on a
seasoned midfield partnership of Eamon
McConville and Ryan Watt, in their third
year together at this grade, and what
little got past them was gobbled up by a
formidable half back line of three
county minors, Gerard McCartan, Gary
Magee and Paddy Mooney. Up front, Colm
Clerkins finishing was exemplary in the
difficult conditions; several of his
points came from frees forced by corner
forward Brian Keenan, who, with James
Clerkin, formed a lively left wing of
the Rostrevor attack.
GALLANT
Kilcoo, outgunned and outmuscled,
battled bravely to stay in touch, with
midfielder Sean Devlin coming through
for their first half goal, but the
outcome was already secure by half time
as Reds led by 1-14 to 1-2.Rostrevor
withdrew ace marksman Clerkin to the
dug-out late in the third quarter, but
there was little respite for Kilcoo, as
Ryan Watt and Conor Mackin rifled over a
succesion of exhibition scores, and
Anthony Donnan arrived on the end of a
pin-point cross from sub Collie Farrell
to shoot their second goal in the 50th
minute.Kilcoo kept battling and were
rewarded by late points from Paul
Devlin, Sean Kelly and Peter McClean,
but the County Board were always going
to get the final they had been banking
on since they took the unprecedented
step of “seeding” Rostrevor and their
great rivals, An Riocht, at the start of
the championship.
Rostrevor scorers; Colm Clerkin 1-13;
Ryan Watt [0-3]; Anthony Donnan [1-0];
Brian Keenan [0-2]; Conor Mackin [0-2];
James Clerkin [0-1].
Kilcoo scorers; Sean Devlin [1-1]; Sean
Kelly [0-2]; Ciaran McClean [0-1]; peter
McClean [0-1]; Paul Devlin [0-1].
Rostrevor team; Padraig Mulholland;
Conor Magee, Colm Murney, Gareth Clarke;
Gerard McCartan, Gary Magee, Patrick
Mooney; Eamon McConville, Ryan Watt;
Anthony Donnan, Conor Mackin, James
Clerkin; Richard Reynolds, Colm Clerkin,
Brian Keenan
Kilcoo team; Stephen Kane; Brian Grant,
Patrick Devlin, James Morgan; Sean
Doherty, Niall Brannigan, Daniel
Higgins; Sean Devlin, Ciaran McClean;
Peter McClean, Sean Kelly, Barney McEvoy;
Declan Morgan, Paul Devlin, Barry Kane.
