Kilcar face Monaghan champions Scotstown, in Ulster

Kilcar face a new challenge this Sunday when they take on three-in-a-row Monaghan champions Scotstown, in the Ulster Championship quarter final in Clones. (2.30 pm)

For the current crop of Kilcar players it is all new territory and a first crack at playing in the Ulster Championship.

Team mentor Seamus Gallagher is the only link with the last Kilcar team to fly the Donegal flag in Ulster.

That was in 1993 and Gallagher was the team manager when Kilcar jumped the first hurdle with a first round win over Fermanagh champions, Devenish.

In the semi-final, it took two games to separate Kilcar and Errigal Ciaran before the Tyrone champions advanced to the final and ultimately to win the Ulster championship. Errigal Ciaran defeated Downpatrick from Down in the 1993 Ulster final.

“It’s all new ground for us - for the players for the management. But we are looking forward to it and the challenge of Scotstown,” Kilcar manager, Barry Doherty, told the Democrat.

“Scotstown on the other hand are very experienced in Ulster. This is their third year-in-a-row and they reached the final a couple of years ago and lost to Crossmaglen.

“They are a massive challenge. They are after winning the Monaghan championship three years-in-a-row and have won four of the last five Monaghan championships.

“They are one of those clubs that set the Ulster championship as their goal every year. It’s a whole new experience for us and we haven’t played in Ulster since 1993, the last time we won the championship.”

Kilcar may not have Ulster club experience, but Michael Hegarty, Mark McHugh and Patrick McBrearty have a wealth of Ulster Championship experience from playing with Donegal.

Ryan and Eoin McHugh may not have the experience of the others but they have experienced big championship days with the county too.

Scotstown are the top team in Monaghan and have been so for by and large the last five years.

The big name players in their line-up are goalkeeper Rory Beggan, the Monaghan number one, the Hughes brothers, Kieran and Darren, Shane Carey and Conor McCarthy, all members of Malachy O’Rourke’s Monaghan senior squad.

And the one thing they do have, given their results on their way through the Monaghan championship, is fire power in the attack.

All of their scores, bar three pointed placed balls from keeper Rory Beggan and one from centre half back Brendan McArdle in their 2-17 to 0-13 demolition of Magheracloone in the Monaghan final, came from forwards.

Conor McCarthy scored 1-8, Darren Hughes 1-1 (from full forward), Shane Carey, James Hamill, Orin Heaphey and Damian McCrudden, all forwards, also got in on the scoring act.

“They are a seasoned team and very strong all over the field but if we play as well as we feel we can, we have a good chance,” Doherty said.

“We have prepared well.

“We celebrated on the Monday and for a while on the Tuesday after the county final. But we were back training on Wednesday night and we’ve had a couple of sessions since. And we had the game against Dungloe on Sunday.

“We will have a couple more sessions before Sunday and we have no injuries, which is a big plus.

“That is down to our physio Emma McSweeney who has done a great job all year and to Ronan Brennan our strength and conditioning coach and trainer.”

There is no getting away from it, Scotstown are a formidable outfit, but so too are Kilcar. It could all come down to the game-plan that Barry Doherty has in mind for this weekend.

The big question is: Do Scotstown have the players to tie down the McHughs, Mark, Ryan and Eoin, Patrick and Stephen McBrearty, Ciaran McGinley and Michael Hegarty for 60 plus minutes on the wide open spaces?

Scotstown are the favourites, but write off Kilcar at your peril.