DARYL Branagan and Niall McEvoy will both be “in the programme” for Kilcoo’s crunch Ulster semi-final clash with Glen on Sunday.
Two of the Down champions’ defensive mainstays missed the impressive quarter-final win over Ramor United.
Branagan, who was exceptional in their run to the All-Ireland club final in the 2019/20 season, picked up a knock just before half-time in the county final win over Burren.
He had been brought into the team that day as a late replacement for stalwart Niall McEvoy.
Kilcoo coach Richie Thornton said both men were back in training and would be available for selection against the in-form Derry champions.
“Daryl picked up that injury in the county final and he’s been working extremely hard to get back. He’s not far away now.
“He’ll be on the bench, so he’s ready to rock. He’s been working hard on the rehab and all the stuff he’s been asked to do, so he’ll be in the programme.
“Niall McEvoy is back training and all too. We’ve a full complement at the minute.”
The impressive nature of Kilcoo’s win over the Cavan champions two weeks ago has propelled them back into the national limelight.
They cut across the dry December sod in Breffni Park to claim an 11-point win. It was a performance that reminded the province they hadn’t gone away.
Assistant manager Conleith Gilligan had said after that game that they viewed the Seamus McFerran Cup as “vacant”, having had no chance to retain it last year due to Covid-19 cancelling the provincial and All-Ireland club series’.
Glen were quickly installed as favourites for this year’s edition on the back of some blistering displays in Derry, which they backed up with arguably the most impressive win of the lot last day out, beating a seasoned Scotstown team by nine points.
The only difficulty Glen have encountered was against St Eunan’s, a team that Thornton had managed for three seasons from 2018-20.
The Donegal side set their stall out to defend in huge numbers and had Glen on the ropes in Letterkenny, only for Malachy O’Rourke’s men to solve the puzzle just in time.
While not being drawn on whether Kilcoo would look to a similar setup on Sunday, Thornton had noted its effect.
“I was involved with St Eunan’s for three years. The whole report was that Glen would push them aside quite easily and I didn’t expect that to happen, and it didn’t.
“Eunan’s were set up very well in relation to negating the threats Glen have in terms of the strong middle third and the hard running from the half-back line.
“They cut the space very well and just missed out on the scores at the other end to put them away.
“They’d a good opportunity that day, Glen hadn’t performed to the levels they had in other games and with Eunan’s cutting the space down, it made it a far tighter affair.
“From the start of the Derry championship, Glen have been talked about the last few years, when are they gonna make the breakthrough and those minor teams they’ve had, they’d been pushing at the door and just hadn’t got over the line.
“When the first championship comes, there’s huge momentum comes with that. Winning the Derry championship with an average margin of 11 or 12 points, and going into Ulster and winning by almost the same against Scotstown, they have that behind them.
“They’re playing well, they play as a team.”
