AIB Ulster Club SFC: Erne Gaels win epic encounter

AIB Ulster Club SFC Quarter-Final

Erne Gaels Belleek 3-15 Kingscourt Stars 1-16

(After extra-time)

By Paul Keane at Kingspan Breffni

No team from Fermanagh has ever managed to win the AIB Ulster club SFC.

We're not going to saddle Erne Gaels with any extra pressure to smash through that glass ceiling but they're clearly a team that loves a challenge.

Two weeks after securing back-to-back county titles after a replay, the Declan Bonner manager side this time needed extra-time to secure their place in the province's last four.

In wild and wet conditions, a number of their players pulled up with cramp in the closing minutes as the full extent of their exertions became clear.

Three goals, all of which came early in the game, from Odhran Johnston, Ultan Kelm and Jack McCann were significant though it ultimately came down to a strong extra-time performance as the Belleek side outscored Kingscourt 0-7 to 0-2.

Perhaps Kingscourt simply ran out of gas after a remarkable comeback in the second-half of normal time. They trailed by 11 points at one stage early in the second-half but with Cian Shekleton enjoying an outrageous evening of scoring, he clipped 0-12 in total, with 0-10 from play, they reeled the Gaels in.

Meath's All-Star nominee, Jordan Morris, came alive in the second-half too and struck the stoppage time two-pointer from a long-range free that forced the game to extra-time.

Kingscourt came in fresh off their first Cavan SFC title success in a decade. They were underdogs heading into the county decider against Gowna and were keen to push on in the province after the landmark win.

They started the brighter too but failed to make the most of their early opportunities. Colin Kelly's crew dropped three scoring attempts short in the opening eight minutes and it wasn't until the 15th minute that they finally managed to score.

By that stage, Erne Gaels had put 2-2 on the board and added a third goal in the 20th minute to open up a 3-2 to 0-1 lead at that stage.

Kingscourt will acknowledge that they failed to deal with a series of high balls into their danger zone.

The first was an Oisin Kelm two-point attempt that hit the woodwork in the 10th minute and was gathered up by Johnston who dispatched for the opening goal.

Four minutes later, Ultan Kelm took on Kingscourt full-back John McCullough and created enough space to hammer home to the roof of the net.

Belleek were in dreamland and piled on even more misery when Oisin Kelm launched another ball in, allowing McCann to rise up and redirect it to the net.

The stats were alarming from Kingscourt's perspective - after 20 or so minutes, Erne Gaels had 3-2 on the board, had struck eight wides and also dropped two point attempts short.

Erne Gaels had the wind but Kingscourt would still have been horrified at just how much ball they coughed up in their own half.

Morris, an All-Ireland semi-finalist with Meath this year, struggled to get on much ball initially and winced at three point attempts he dropped short.

Shekleton scored all three of Kingscourt's first-half points as Erne Gaels hit the interval with a 3-4 to 0-3 lead.

Shekleton added a fourth point in the 34th minute before drilling a two-pointer and converting a single.

Now Kingscourt had momentum and with Morris coming into the game strongly, running at the Gaels defence with pace, they were really buzzing with attacking intent.

Morris kicked a 44th point before setting up Shekleton for another. And when substitute Cormac Yore palmed in a 49th minute goal for the 12-times Cavan champions, just six points separated them, 3-8 to 1-8.

Erne Gaels were mightily grateful in the middle of all that for a 46th minute two-pointer from Barry McCann.

Kingscourt kept plugging away though and Shekleton's second two-pointer in the 56th minute, followed by his 10th point of the evening, cut the deficit to just three.

It was all Kingscourt in the closing stages and another Shekleton point was followed by that huge two-point from Morris, a minute into stoppage time, to level it, 3-8 to 1-14.

Morris had a last gasp chance to win it but it was a shot to nothing as he drove a 65th minute wide from a sideline ball out on the terrace side.

Erne Gaels gathered themselves for extra-time and capitalised on the wind advantage again to lead 3-13 to 1-15 at half-time.

Oisin Kelm's 68th minute two-pointer was the pick of the scores but the big question was, would a four-point advantage be enough?

It turned out it was as Kingscourt could only add a solitary point in the second-half, from Morris.

Erne Gaels Belleek scorers: Odhran Johnston 1-2 (1 tp), Ultan Kelm 1-1, Jack McCann 1-0, Barry McCann 0-2 (tp), Oisin Kelm 0-2 (tp), Ryan Lyons 0-2, Shane Rooney 0-2 (0-1f), Aogan Kelm 0-1, Thomas McCafferty 0-1 (0-1f), Seamus Ryder 0-1 (0-1f), Dan McCann 0-1.

Kingscourt Stars scorers: Cian Shekleton 0-12 (2 tp, 0-2f), Jordan Morris 0-4 (1 tpf), Cormac Yore 1-0.

Erne Gaels Belleek: Brian Ryder; Shane Mimna, Paul Ward, Ultan O'Reilly; Barry McCann, Jack McCann, Oisin Kelm; Michael Og McGrrigle, Ryan Lyons; Brian Mullin, Ultan Kelm, Aogan Kelm; Shane Rooney, Thomas McCafferty, Odhran Johnston.

Subs: Seamus Ryder for Aogan Kelm 28, Michael McKeon for Curtis h/t, Martin Gilfeddar for Johnston 42, Dan McCann for Rooney 45, Paul McCafferty for Mimna 65. Rooney for Thomas McCafferty 67, Padraic Johnston for Ultan Kelm 75.

Kingscourt Stars: Tom Martin; Cormac McAvinney, John McCullough, Shane Gray; Odhran Cunningham, Aaron Shekleton, Barry Tully; Paddy Meade, Peter Corrigan; John McKeon, Kevin Curtis, Ciaran Dermody; Jordan Morris, Joe Dillon, Cian Shekleton.

Subs: Caoimhin Magee for J McKeon 19, Michael McKeon for Curtis h/t, Cormac Yore for Dermody 41. Michael Gargan for M McKeon 72, Sean Burke for Magee 75, Killian Farrelly for Gray 75.

Referee: Enda McFeely (Donegal).