Four Masters see off stubborn Scotstown challenge in Ulster minor club championship

The reigning Ulster minor holders Four Masters survived the first assault on their crown as they saw off Monaghan champions Scotstown 3-07 to 3-06 in Sunday’s quarter-final clash on the Shaw’s Road.

It was too close to call as the match entered injury time with only a point separating the two teams when the final whistle went. 

Four Masters looked home and dry until Darragh Keenan nailed his team's third goal as Scotstown brought the game right to the wire, but it wasn't enough as the Ulster winners held their nerve to see the game out for the victory.

The Donegal minor winners settled into their stride when Callum McCrea broke out of defence and switched the ball to Turlough Carr who returned a pass to McCrea and in turn fed the ball to late replacement Thomas Lenehan to slam home inside of two minutes.  

Scotstown replied through a fourth-minute Seán Óg McElwain free and the sides then traded scores through Kevin Muldoon and Tommy Mallen.  

The Monaghan outfit hit the front on the 12th minute when Max Maguire fisted a breaking ball at midfield as play was switched into the path of Darcy Foy to burst forward and fire low into the corner of the net past Lewis McCaughan to make it 1-02-1-01.

Mallen doubled his side’s advantage and his personal tally for the half moments later, but the Carr brothers Tomas and Turlough both sent high efforts between the posts to restore parity.  

Ellis Foy’s shot dropped between the posts to keep Scotstown’s scores ticking, though Tomas Carr replied quickly as he converted a free from the deck.  

Having opened the game with a goal, Four Masters closed the half out on the front foot.  

Alan McHugh carried the ball forward and laid it off with Tiarnan McBride picking up possession and powering to the net with Turlough Carr adding a point in the aftermath to give the holders a 2-05-1-04 lead at the interval.  

Scotstown clawed their way back into things within two minutes of the restart.  

Darcy Foy flighted a fine crossfield pass that Darragh Keenan intercepted and he bore down on goal before picking his spot to reduce the deficit to the bare minimum. 

Parity was restored for the third time when Max Maguire produced a tremendous angled point on the 36th minute.  

The Monaghan champions forged back ahead when Seán Óg McElwain converted his second free of the contest to make it 2-06-2-05.  

Although it was short-lived as Four Masters hit the net for the third time as late replacement Lenehan claimed his second with a low shot that squeezed underneath Jimmy McKenna's reach. 

A Lenehan point moments later and a converted Tomas Carr free from the ground had Masters 3-07-2-06 ahead and surely into the last four.  

But a grandstand finish was on the cards though as Scotstown battled back and hit their third goal on the 53rd minute when Darragh Keenan bustled his way into a shooting position and sent a bullet of a shot to the net to reduce the deficit to the bare minimum again.  

They were unable to fight back for a third time though as the holders hung on to book their place in the St Stephens Day semi-final.  

Four Masters scorers: T Lenehan 2-1; Tomas Carr 0-3, 2f; Turlough Carr 0-2; K Muldoon 0-1. 
Scotstown scorers: D Keenan 2-0; D Foy 1-0; S Óg McElwain 0-2, 2fs; T Mallen 0-2; M Maguire and E Foy 0-1 each. 

Four Masters: L McCaughan; A McHugh, D McGinty, E O'Neil; C Gavigan, C McCrea, A Quinn; T Carr, T Colhoun; P McGonagle, T Carr, K Muldoon; T Lenehan, T McBride, O Doherty. Subs: D Griffin for A McHugh (60+1).  

Scotstown: J McKenna; C Gallagher, D McMeel, D Feeney; E Prunty, M McCaffrey, D Foy; M Maguire, J Foley; E Foy, T Mallen, D Keenan; D Connolly, S Og McElwain, C McElwain. Subs: N McCabe for T Mallen (42), S MacCinna for D Keenan (59).  

Referee: Paul Falloon (Down)