Young goal the turning point

Loup 1-12 Kilcoo 1-11:A CRACKING goal, off his "weak" left foot, by Paul Young was the turning point that helped Loup to victory in yesterday's entertaining semi-final at Casement Park.

That goal levelled the game at 1-10 apiece on 51 minutes after Young had pointed three minutes earlier. In the next two minutes, Paul McFlynn (free) and Paul McVey pointed for the winners who had never led until that stage, but were now 1-12 to 1-10 up.

Kilcoo had played from the 26th minute with 14 men after midfielder Martin McClean was red-carded on a second yellow, one of 11 yellows flashed by referee Padraig Hughes despite the game being never likely to get out of hand.

There was only one more score, an injury- time point by Paul Devlin for the losers, just not enough to stop Loup reaching the final.

“People will forget that Kilcoo played with 14 men from the first half and they still could have snatched a draw, When we were four points down in the middle of the second half we needed a goal as we would never have got enough points from there to win,” reflected Loup midfielder Johnny McBride.

LOUP: S McGuckin; Dominic McVey, J O’Kane, C McVey; B Doyle (0-1), F Devlin, A McAlynn; J McBride (0-1), P McFlynn (0-2, frees); P McVey (0-5, frees), B McVey, SM O’Neill; Declan McVey (0-1), S McFlynn, P Young (1-2). Subs: E McGuckin for B McVey (32 mins), C Devlin for S McFlynn (33), B Lavery for C McVey (38), E McQuillan for Declan McVey (44), J Devlin for O’Neill (45).

KILCOO: S Kane; N Brannigan, N Morgan, N McEvoy; B O’Hanlon, S O’Hanlon, Gerard McEvoy; P Greenan, M McClean; D McEvoy (0-2), P Devlin (0-2, frees), C Laverty (0-1); B Kane (0-1), A Devlin, D Kane (1-5). Subs: A Brannigan for D McEvoy (28 mins), Gary McEvoy for B Kane (53), F McGreevy for D Kane (55).

Referee:P Hughes (Armagh).

St Gall’s and Loup meet in the provincial final on November 29th