Crossmaglen 0-12 Kilcoo 0-08
Crossmaglen came good in the second half against 14-man Kilcoo to book a place in the AIB Ulster club SFC final for the first time since 2012.
Despite a bitter rivalry between these teams and a huge crowd in Pairc Esler, the game failed to catch fire.
Cross effectively won it with an excellent third quarter. The sides were level at 0-3 apiece at the break but Cross hit five points in a row in 13 minutes after the interval to stretch clear, with Aaron and Tony Kernan frees plus points from Oisin O'Neill and Kyle Carragher.
Kilcoo offered little offensively and sub Dominic McEvoy was sent off two yellow cards in the 53rd minute, just 18 minutes after coming on.
Jamie Clarke came on for his first appearance since his return from America, but his team-mates had long secured a place in a provincial decider against Scotstown.
The simmering tension between these teams in recent years ensured a huge crowd of 9,591 streamed into Newry in the pouring rain hoping to see something memorable, but the first half was a damp squib.
Kilcoo set up very defensively and Cross struggled to break them down, frequently resorting to long-range pot shots.
They hit nine first-half wides – but only one in a much-improved second half – yet recovered from a low-key start to draw level at three points each at the break.
Kilcoo, the four-in-a-row Down champions, took an early lead through Darragh O'Hanlon's free, with Kyle Carragher replying for Cross in the ninth minute.
The atmopshere was heavy and tense, with the teams probing and feeling each other out in a low-scoring, disappointing spectacle.
O'Hanlon put Kilcoo back in front with an 18th minute free and a minute later, their sweeper Ryan Johnston broke forward and nailed their first point from play.
Trailing by 0-3 to 0-1, Crossmaglen responded with defender Paul Hughes' point and a Tony Kernan free in stoppage time bringing them level at 0-3 apiece.
O'Neill's superb point from a difficult angle just after restart set the tone for a determined second half from Crossmaglen.
With the points flying over from frees and play, Rico Kelly missed the best goal chance when his shot crashed off the bottom of the post after 38 minutes.
Darragh O'Hanlon's point in the 43rd minute ended a 27-minute scoring drought for Kilcoo, leaving them 0-8 to 0-4 down.
They were five down when McEvoy was dismissed and although Cross lost Aidan Rushe and Stephen Kernan to black cards in the closing moments, they had done more than enough to continue the quest for an 11th Ulster crown in two weeks time.
Scorers - Crossmaglen: T Kernan 0-03 (3f), A Kernan 0-03 (2f), K Carragher 0-03, O O'Neill 0-01, P Hughes 0-01, R Kelly 0-01. Kilcoo: D O'Hanlon 0-05 (4f), R Johnston 0-01, M Devlin 0-01, J Johnston 0-01 (f).
CROSSMAGLEN: P Hearty; P Hughes, A Rushe, P McKeown; A Kernan, M Aherne, J Morgan; J Hanratty, A Cunningham; M McNamee, S Kernan, T Kernan; O O'Neill, R Kelly, K Carragher
Subs: K Brennan for O'Neill (48), J Murtagh for Cunningham (50), J Clarke for McNamee (56), S Finnegan for Rushe (BC, 58), C Cumiskey for Carragher (60)
KILCOO: S Kane; N Branagan, Aidan Branagan, D Branagan; Aaron Branagan, D O'Hanlon, R Johnston; F McGreevy, J McClean; A Morgan, P Devlin, D Ward; J Johnston, P Greenan, C Laverty
Subs: M Devlin for P Devlin (24), D McEvoy for McGreevy (35), S O'Hanlon for McClean (46), Gerard McEvoy for Ward (56), Gary McEvoy for Morgan (58)
REFEREE: Noel Mooney (Cavan)
