Ulster Club SFC: Scotstown hold off Burren after controversial penalty call

Scotstown held off Burren's fightback after a controversial penalty call as Coleraine and Gweedore also reached the Ulster Club SFC semi-finals.

The Monaghan champions won 0-13 to 0-10 after leading by seven on 42 minutes.

Burren were trailing 0-11 to 0-10 on 57 minutes when Ryan Treanor appeared to be fouled in the square but referee Sean Hurson deemed otherwise.

Coleraine repelled Castlerahan's second-half revival to win 2-11 to 0-11 as Gweedore beat Cargin 3-11 to 1-13.

Scotstown held a 0-6 to 0-3 lead at the break despite kicking 13 wides during a dominant first-half display at Pairc Esler.

Burren struggled to escape from their own half during the opening period and manager Paddy O'Rourke took decisive action at the break with the introduction of goalkeeper Cillian Burns and midfielder Treanor gradually helping to turn the tide.

Aided by a Shane Carey score which many felt was a wide, Scotstown led by 0-11 to 0-4 after 42 minutes but a black card for Kieran Hughes changed the course of the contest as Burren scored six unanswered points, including four consecutive Donal O'Hare frees, to reduce the gap to the minimum.

Rory Beggan produced a superb save to deny Ardan McAvoy but Burren continued to pour forward and the Down champions were outraged not to be awarded a penalty when Treanor appeared to have been bundled over when through on goal.

Scotstown took full advantage of their reprieve as Shane Carey notched his fifth point and Donal Morgan got an insurance score in the dying seconds after Burren had been reduced to 14 men following a late red card for substitute David McEntee.

Coleraine will be Scotstown's opposition in the semi-finals in two weeks as the Derry champions survived a stirring second-half fightback from Castlerahan in Kingscourt.

After racing into a six-point half-time lead, Eoghan Rua appeared to be coasting into the last four, especially when the Cavan champions were reduced to 14-men just before the break when David Wright was shown a second yellow card.

With Coleraine's contingent of McGoldrick brothers leading the way the visitors dominated the opening half with full-forward Colm McGoldrick twice finding the back of the net to finish sweeping moves.

Despite starting well, the first-time Cavan champions soon found their momentum halted when Cormac Daly was shown a black card shortly after they lost Enda Flanagan to injury.

An encounter that looked to be heading towards a lopsided scoreline was given new life as Castlerahan scored five unanswered points in the first 20 minutes of the second half.

Coleraine, who eliminated reigning back-to-back Ulster champions Slaughtneil in the last eight of the Derry SFC, eventually found a second half score when Ciaran McGoldrick split the posts.

A run of five unanswered points to close out the game gave the scoreline a comfortable appearance from a Coleraine perspective although in reality it was a much tougher test than their six-point margin of victory suggests.

Antrim champions Cargin also threatened to produce a remarkable second-half comeback at Corrigan Park after they had trailed 2-10 to 0-6 at half-time.

An unanswered run of 1-4 - highlighted by substitute Paul McCann's goal with his first touch - got Cargin to within three of the Donegal champions but Gweedore finished the stronger as Michael Carroll netted their clinching third goal.

After Gweedore suffered the late withdrawal of star man Odhran MacNiallais because of a finger injury and then lost Kieran Gillespie to injury early on, the contest was reasonably even in the opening quarter as the sides were level at 0-3 to 0-3.

However, three successive efforts from play from ex-Donegal star Kevin Cassidy helped Gweedore move three ahead before the veteran then scored his team's first goal after being set up by Eamon O'Colm.

Donegal forward Cian Mulligan netted Gweedore's second three-pointer to leave them 10 ahead at the interval.

From looking total no-hopers at the interval, Cargin completely dominated the third quarter as two Michael McCann points, in addition to McCann's goal, helped them move to within a kick of the ball of the Gaeltacht club.

But James O Baoill's 58th-minute free got Gweedore scoring again and they outscored Cargin 1-2 to 0-1 during the remainder of the game to set up a last-four contest with Crossmaglen in two weeks.

Cargin defender Donagh McKeever was sent off immediately after Gweedore's third goal for a second bookable offence.

WEEKEND CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

AIB Ulster club SFC quarter-final

Cargin 1-13 Gweedore 3-11

Castlerahan 0-11 Coleraine 2-11

Burren 0-10 Scotstown 0-13

Crossmaglen 0-12 Coalisland 0-10

Ulster Ladies SFC final

Donaghmoyne 1-15 Glenfin 1-8