Beggan The Hero As Scotstown End Ulster Drought

Scotstown were crowned Ulster champions for nan first clip since 1989 aft a melodramatic extra-time triumph complete Kilcoo.

On a nighttime erstwhile region stars for illustration Paul Devlin, Conor McCarthy and Kieran Hughes each contributed importantly to a gripping final, it was Scotstown goalkeeper Rory Beggan who made nan astir telling publication to nan 0-19 to 0-16 win.

The 2018 All-Star kicked 11 points for his broadside successful a crippled it felt they had to triumph doubly over.

The Monaghan champions, who were making their 4th effort astatine a 5th provincial crown, had led by arsenic galore arsenic 8 points midway done nan first half and were 3 up astatine nan opening of wounded time.

Whether it was their nip-and-tuck region last against Inniskeen Grattans, aliases their titanic tussle pinch Newbridge successful nan semi-finals, Scotstown games are thing if not worth for money.

And truthful it proved again arsenic Kilcoo, displaying each nan alloy that took them to an All-Ireland title successful 2021, staged a furious comeback to level pinch virtually nan past footwear of regulation.

Scotstown regrouped to return power of other time, moreover if fewer successful nan crowd astatine nan Athletic Grounds will person dared to judge nan crippled was won until nan last whistle sparked joyous scenes among nan Monaghan supporters.

The seemingly improbable comeback astatine nan extremity of regularisation came aft a melodramatic second-half that had begun pinch Scotstown starring 0-6 to 0-1.

Kilcoo were playing into nan sizeable upwind successful nan first half pinch nan conditions hampering their attacking efforts.

Despite a sizeable separator successful possession done nan opening period, location were conscionable 5 minutes until nan break earlier they registered their sole people of nan opening period.

The constituent was provided by Eugene Branagan but moreover nan wavering trajectory of nan shot arsenic it bisected nan posts displayed nan difficulties endured by nan Down side's players erstwhile shooting into nan swirling breeze.

By that stage, Beggan had already kicked nan first brace of two-pointers among his tally and location seemed only 1 victor erstwhile their lead was stretched to 8 midway done nan 2nd half.

But, having struggled to find their scope pinch nan upwind astatine their backs successful nan early stages of nan 2nd half, Kilcoo belatedly mastered nan conditions to reel Scotstown in.

A superb

Devlin yet sewage his broadside disconnected nan people successful nan 2nd half pinch a two-pointer 13 minutes aft nan restart, pinch nan guardant adding a further 3 points arsenic nan Down champions trim nan shortage to only a constituent successful nan closing stages.

A drilled effort from Kieran Hughes was matched by Tommy Mallen from conscionable wrong nan arc, earlier Beggan stepped up pinch different two-pointer to springiness his broadside that seemingly important three-point cushion.

But his Kilcoo counterpart Niall Kane answered successful benignant pinch nan timepiece already good successful nan red. Rather than specified consolation, erstwhile Kilcoo regained possession pinch nan 3 minutes of indicated added clip already up, Callum Rogers gathered and spun brilliantly to nonstop nan crippled into other time.

Rather than beryllium flattened by letting nan long-sought title gaffe from their grasp, Scotstown lifted themselves from nan level successful extra-time pinch Beggan kicking 2 frees and a 45, successful summation to 3 points from Conor McCarthy to extremity their 36-year wait.