Armagh Club football & hurling

[Up The Blues :)]

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137866062986959

[brokencrossbar1]

The athletic grounds has the Ulster Junior Hurling Final Replay Burt v Creggan, which is due to be followed by Burren v Latton senior semi final on sunday

You might see a few Cross' folk at the second game.

You might not!

[crossfire]

The athletic grounds has the Ulster Junior Hurling Final Replay Burt v Creggan, which is due to be followed by Burren v Latton senior semi final on sunday

You might see a few Cross' folk at the second game.

We are upper Creggan.

[armaghniac]

We are upper Creggan.

Creggan Superior as they say in Latin, as distinct from Creggan Inferior.

Anyhow I'll be a cross man if Burren don't win, as I put a few pound on them to reach the final. The better they play the easier they will be to lay off. 

[thewanderer]

st pats v clans on the best pitch surface in armagh for this time of the year PEARSE OG PARK at 11.30am on sunday. hope you's lads are on ur best behaviour lol

[crossfire]

st pats v clans on the best pitch surface in armagh for this time of the year PEARSE OG PARK at 11.30am on sunday. hope you's lads are on ur best behaviour lol

They always are.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Under 21 Championship Semi-final: St Patrick's 2-16 Clan na Gael 1-12 AET

If last week's victory over Harps thanks to a late goal was exciting, then even greater superlatives are needed to describe this thrilling and enthralling match played in good conditions at Pearse Ogs Park on Sunday morning. Although the game was to develop into an epic encounter, it began very much with a whimper for a Cullyhanna side who struggled to settle in the early stages and indeed throughout the first half. A long range Clan na Gael pointed free opened the scoring after 6 minutes although this score was matched by St Pat's two minutes later when Conor Nugent pointed after a foul on Colm Hoey. However this was to be Cullyhanna's solitary score in the opening 28 minutes of the match as Clan na Gael began to dominate, managing five unanswered points to register a commanding advantage. St Pat's finally managed their second point two minutes before the break when Aidan Nugent reacted well to retrieve a ball heading wide before recycling to Rory O'Neill who fired over the bar. St Pat's had the opportunity to narrow the half-time gap to just three when Colm Hoey was hauled to the ground at the end of an inspirational 30 yard run but unfortunately the resultant free dropped short to leave the half-time score - Clan na Gael 0-6 St Patrick's 0-2. In fairness, the score at the break was a reasonable reflection of a first half which was dominated by a more experienced Clan na Gael team as St Patrick's struggled to retain possession in the forward line and found scoring opportunities difficult to come by.

It was a generally accepted wisdom at half-time that St Pat's needed a good start to the second period but that appeared to be eluding them as Clans managed the first point of the half and a number of scoreable opportunities for Cullyhanna went astray. Nine minutes into the half Conor Nugent pointed a free to reduce the deficit to four. Cullyhanna needed a change of emphasis and this came from Gareth Mackin who moved from midfield to the edge of the square. This shrewd tactical switch soon paid dividends as a high hopeful ball from Colm Hoey was won on the edge of the square by Mackin who passed to Conor Nugent. Despite severe pressure, Conor Nugent managed to squeeze the ball to the net for a much needed goal which brought Cullyhanna right back into the match. Soon after, St Pat's were level as Cathal McGlade intercepted a Clan na Gael kick out before playing a ball forward to Conor Nugent who flicked on to Gareth Mackin who kicked a point. At this stage, St Pat's had the momentum and were playing with great amounts of confidence. The Cullyhanna men took the lead for the first time with fifteen minutes to go when Conor Nugent attempted a shot from an outrageous angle. No doubt most in the ground would have understandably believed a point to be impossible from his location so close to the touchline but young Nugent produced a magnificent effort with the outside of his foot to send the ball sailing over the bar.

The St Pat's lead was not to last long however with Clan na Gael equalising a minute later thanks to a pointed free. With 11 minutes left, St Pat's led again when a quick free from Tony Donnelly allowed Colm Hoey to point. Colm Hoey extended his side's advantage two minutes later as he profited from an Aidan Nugent pass after a great catch at midfield to kick a fine score. Although St Pat's led by two points heading into the latter stages, Clan na Gael were far from finished and dug in to register a brace of points, one from a free, which brought the sides level again. With 29 minutes played, Clan na Gael were awarded a free just within shooting range which looked like it could hand the Lurgan men victory. However the free dropped short and suddenly St Pat's were on the counter-attack. Aidan Nugent found Rory O'Neill who kicked over what appeared to the winning point. As was expected Clan na Gael attacked in droves attempting to fashion an equalising score but were repelled on numerous occasions. Darren Mackin looked to have made a matching winning tackle on one occasion yet the game carried on. St Pat's did have an opportunity to secure victory with another point but unfortunately the ball was kicked into the goalkeeper's hands when a wide ball may have ended the match. At the time, most onlookers presumed that the final whistle was imminent yet Clan na Gael were permitted to launch a further attack. A full three and a half minutes into injury time, Clan na Gael were awarded a very debateable free in front of goal following what appeared to be a fair challenge for the ball. The kick was converted and the whistle blown for full-time to ensure that extra-time would be required.

If the St Pat's side were affected by the disappointment of the final stages of normal time, they certainly did not let it show, making a perfect start to extra time with a Gareth Mackin point after he reacted quickest to a breaking ball in attack. Tony Donnelly increased the lead to two with a good score and then, 6 minutes into extra time, Gareth Mackin broke the ball expertly in the penalty area which allowed Conor Nugent to collect and tap over a point. Although it seemed that St Pat's were finally pulling away, suddenly Clan na Gael found a way back into the match, reacting quickest to the rebound when a shot hit the crossbar to register a seemingly vital equalising goal.  There were no further scores in the first half of extra time which ended with the side level on 1-11 apiece.

It took less than a minute of the second half for St Pat's to regain their lead as Cathal McGlade produced a lung-bursting run before kicking a superb score from distance. As the match ebbed and flowed, it took a magnificent diving block from Eoin McArdle to prevent a Clan na Gael goal. St Pat's edged further into the lead as Conor Nugent profited from a Rory O'Neill pass to fist a point but predictably Clan na Gael fought back with a pointed free. As this classic encounter neared its conclusion, the defining moment of this magnificent struggle arrived when a long ball from Micky Murray was gathered well in front of goal by Rory O'Neill. O'Neill turned his marker with intentions only for the net and, although possession of the ball appeared to have been forfeited, he retained his composure and calmly stroked the loose ball into the net to send the Cullyhanna support into raptures. Although Clan na Gael had shown great spirit throughout the match, their resolve was finally broken as Aidan Nugent tagged on two vital points in the minutes following the goal to ensure his side's progress. A now rampant St Pat's side dominated the closing stages with a Gareth Mackin point two minutes from time putting seven points between the sides. The final whistle was met with great joy by all of Cullyhanna as St Pat's triumphed on a scoreline of St Patrick's 2-16 Clan na Gael 1-12

This was utterly absorbing encounter and was surely as enjoyable a contest as has been seen on the playing fields of Armagh in 2011. Both sides played their part in what was a thoroughly enjoyable game of football. Having made such a mundane start, Cullyhanna's transformation in the final 20 minutes of the second half and throughout extra time was remarkable. This may be a young side but it is a team of great character, skill and fitness and crucially a sense of belief instilled in them by an excellent management team. This team have focussed not on the long list of players unavailable but rather on their own abilities and have reaped the benefits of doing so. The real challenge however lies not in making a final but in going on to win it and despite the heroics of the past fortnight, there is no doubt that the most difficult match lies ahead. The team as a whole performed superbly with Micky Murray and Eoin McArdle magnificent in defence. Gareth Mackin made a superb contribution when placed on the edge of the square, often causing havoc in the Clan na Gael defence while Rory O'Neill continued his very useful habit of registering vital scores at vital times. Cathal McGlade was superb in the second half while the man of the match was probably Colm Hoey who was immense throughout, torturing the Clan na Gael side with his excellent positional play and heroic bursts from defence, not to mention his scoring ability from half-back. We understand that the under 21 Championship final will take place on the weekend of 3rd or 4th December but members should check the local press for confirmed details.

Starting XV: Deaglan McArdle; Ciaran McCooey, Darren Mackin, Micky Murray; Colm Hoey (0-2), Eoin McArdle, Neil Donnelly; Pearse Casey, Gareth Mackin (0-3); Rory O'Neill (1-2), Tony Donnelly (0-1), Kevin Hoey; Cathal McGlade (0-1), Aidan Nugent (0-2), Conor Nugent (1-5) Sub Used: Owen Carragher

[QUB GAA Research]

Hi Everyone,

I am a final year student at QUB, and as part of my course I am required to undertake a group piece of research.
We have chosen to do this on the GAA, and the different reasons on player drop-our rates post age 18 between rural and urban areas.

We would be very greatfull if you could take the time to fill out the survey below (it will literally only take 2 minutes).

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q8FYCHK

We've got some great feedback so far, and I think the users on this message board can add valuable contributions to the study.
Please feel free to comment/make sussestions on our thread (below) or on the survey about the topic.

http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=20675.msg1048613#new

Thanks Very much!
Go raibh mile maith agat

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Armagh Under 21 Championship Final: St Patrick's 0-10 Maghery 0-9

The under 21 championship reached its thrilling conclusion on a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon as St Pat's faced Maghery at the Athletic Grounds. Conditions at headquarters were as good as could be expected given the time of year and both sides went about their task in a whole-hearted, honest and fair manner. I'm not sure if any team has ever played in two under 21 finals in the same calendar year before but certainly St Pat's entered the game wanting to put right the disappointment of February's reversal to Crossmaglen Rangers.

It was to be Maghery who started the brighter however with two early points in the third and fourth minutes, the former coming from a free. The opening exchanges were fairly even with Cullyhanna registering their first score after 6 minutes, thanks to a good point from Rory O'Neill. O'Neill was on the scoresheet again when a foul on Colm Hoey allowed him to level matters with a pointed free. St Pat's forged into the lead 13 minutes in thanks to an audacious effort from Conor Nugent who pointed from what appeared to be a prohibitive angle.  In the second quarter, St Pat's had by far the better of the possession and territory however they found scores hard to come by and largely failed to utilise fully their dominance. A Sean Connell pass found Cathal McGlade who kicked a fine point to put his side two ahead. Maghery remained dangerous however, largely through their full forward Aiden Forker who made good use of a quality pass on 23 minutes to cut the deficit to a single point. A Rory O'Neill pointed free three minutes before the break put two between the sides again however the half-time lead could have been greater had a Kevin Hoey goal effort not been blocked by the Maghery goalkeeper. At half-time the score stood at St Patrick's 0-5 Maghery 0-3. Such a slender advantage was certainly a concern for the Cullyhanna following who were well aware that the lead should have been greater and that an improved second half performance from Maghery was to be expected.

The slender nature of the Cullyhanna lead was highlighted by the fact that it took a mere six minutes for Maghery to not only cancel out the deficit, but take the lead themselves as two superb points from Aiden Forker levelled matters before another point after St Pat's had needlessly lost the ball coming out of defence put the Loughshore men into the lead. Losing their lead appeared to finally stir the Cullyhanna side as they responded in style, initially through Conor Nugent who fired over a score after a St Pat's attack appeared to have broken down. Between the 17th and 19th minutes of the second half came what appeared to be a match winning salvo as a superbly flighted long ball from Tony Donnelly found Kyle McEvoy on the edge of the square who tapped over a lovely point to put his team into the lead. Next Gareth Mackin cut inside a Maghery defender and kicked a point and a minute later, Rory O'Neill produced a lung-bursting solo run along the sideline before driving inside and kicking a magnificent individual score. Having opened up the first three point advantage of the match with only 11 minutes remaining, it looked good for Cullyhanna however Maghery had no plans to meekly accept their fate. A pointed free cut the gap to two before a long range Maghery effort reduced the lead to the minimum. With six minutes remaining, Maghery kicked a point to level the match. The momentum was by now very much with the North Armagh men who were probably favourites to win at this stage. With four minutes remaining, Maghery fashioned an excellent scoring opportunity but just as the forward looked certain to kick a point, Eoin McArdle appeared from nowhere with a heroic block to smother the ball and prevent his side slipping behind. The game ebbed and flowed as each side attempted to fashion a winning opportunity however Cullyhanna's golden chance came as Cathal McGlade burst through the defence before being unceremoniously felled. The resultant free kick was no easy opportunity with Kyle McEvoy having a 30m kick to put his side into the lead. However McEvoy dealt with the pressure admirably and coolly slotted the ball between the posts to put his side in front. Maghery desperately pressed in injury time to find an equalising point, however their challenge ran aground while faced with the defensive abilities of Colm Hoey who produced two superb blocks in the later stages to secure victory for his side.

The final whistle was met with great delight by the Cullyhanna team management and supporters as St Patrick's finished winner by 0-10 to 0-9. Amid joyous scenes, captain Tony Donnelly accepted the cup on behalf of his team-mates and in his speech, thanked team managers Malachy Mackin and Stephen for their hard work, commitment and ability to instil belief in their charges.

The performances of this young team have been absolutely outstanding over the past month and have given the whole village a lift and provided a wonderfully entertaining conclusion to the season. While they certainly do not have a habit of making things easy for themselves,  St Pat's have richly deserved yesterday's triumph. To annex Cullyhanna's first under 21 championship victory for 19 years is a magnificent achievement and is testimony to the skill and courage of this outfit, as well as being a great reflection on the abilities of their managers who have secured a county title in their first venture into management. When faced with adversity, this side have consistently put their best foot forward and overcome all challenges and those attributes will serve them well in the years to come. While this was not a day for individuals, with each member of the team contributing handsomely, special mention should go to the superb half-back line and in particular Eoin McArdle and Colm Hoey for their defensive heroics in the second half and also to Pearse Casey who got through a mountain of work all day. Our congratulations to all involved.

Starting XV: Deaglan McArdle; Kieran McCooey, Darren Mackin, Michael Murray; Colm Hoey, Eoin McArdle, Sean Connell; Tony Donnelly, Pearse Casey; Rory O'Neill (0-4) Aidan Nugent, Kevin Hoey; Cathal McGlade (0-1), Gareth Mackin (0-1), Conor Nugent (0-2). Sub Used: Kyle McEvoy (0-2)

[upthem]

Calling all past, present and future QUB and UUJ Gaels!
Thursday 15th Decembers sees the greatest university rivalry spill over into the ring with QUB and UUJ GAA coming head to head in Fight Knight at the Queen's PEC at 7pm.
Come and see some of the upcoming names in Ulster GAA take to the ring. This is a night not to be missed!
Tickets costing £15 are available from the PEC, UUJ Sportscentre, committee members or email fight_night11@yahoo.com
Follow us on facebook at 'Fight Knight'

[1life 1club]

RIP James Hughes.. Sad loss to cross rangers.. Respect for a born winner..

[Orior]

I see Andrew Murnin has been playing for Lurgan Celtic.

Do any Crossmaglen Rangers play soccer?

[fitzroyalty]

No. I do remember reading an article on Aaron Cunningham saying that they weren't allowed to indulge in anything other than CR GFC, or something to that effect.

Then again I also remember hearing AK was playing rugby with Banbridge in the off-season one year.

[AFS]

Cross don't usually have an off-season.

[fitzroyalty]

Cross don't usually have an off-season.

I know. They almost definitely had one a few years ago though.