Belleek beat Kingscourt in Ulster SFC quarter-final
Ultan Kelm scored a goal for Erne Gaels Belleek in their extra-time victory
- Published
Erne Gaels Belleek dug deep in extra time to claim a 3-15 to 1-16 victory over Kingscourt Stars in their Ulster Senior Club Football Championship quarter-final at Breffni Park.
The Fermanagh flagbearers rallied in the added period and outscored their hosts seven points to two.
Cian Shekleton inspired a Kingscourt comeback in the second half of normal time after goals from Odhran Johnston, Ultan Kelm and Jack McCann gave Erne Gaels a commanding 3-4 to 0-3 lead at the break.
A goal from Cormac Yore and a mammoth Jordan Morris two-pointer helped force extra time for the Cavan champions, but it was Belleek who ultimately prevailed to book a spot in the final four.
A first-half goal glut gave the back-to-back Fermanagh champions firm control of the contest as they looked to make up for last season's heavy defeat in Ulster to Scotstown.
It took eight minutes for either side to register a score but when Aogan Kelm clipped over to open Belleek's account, the Kingscourt floodgates soon opened.
Johnston stole in to finish to the net after Oisin Kelm's two-point effort came back down from the post.
Ultan Kelm added a point and then burst through the Kingscourt rearguard and powered past Tom Martin.
Cian Shekleton replied for Stars on a rare foray forward in the opening half an hour, practically played in their own half.
Leading by seven, Belleek sought to further assert their dominance against the Cavan kingpins, who were without county man Padraig Faulkner.
With 20 minutes elapsed, a third goal came when Jack McCann arrived in the square to flick on Oisin Kelm's hanging two-point attempt.
But a stellar shooting display from Cian Shekleton who struck 11 points through normal time, kept Kingscourt in the hunt after the interval.
A trio of Shekleton scores followed Yore's goal before Jordan Morris landed a huge two-pointer to bring the sides level.
Erne Gaels had the wind again in the first period of extra-time and produced four points in the final three minutes to open up a 3-13 to 1-15 advantage.
Things could well have been different if Odhran Cunningham's effort hadn't crashed off the bar and away to safety at the other end with the sides locked at 1-15 to 3-9.
Instead, Oisin Kelm lumped over from beyond the arc, followed by white flags from Shane Rooney and Ryan Lyons.
Morris cancelled a Dan McCann effort in the second half to keep Kingscourt's arrears at four.
A vital intervention from Belleek's Brian Mullin then denied what looked like a certain goal and the Fermanagh champions advanced as Rooney slotted over a free to finish the scoring.