Crossmaglen Rangers v Kilmacud Crokes

[brokencrossbar1]

Well done to the Crokes, and despite what some on here think there wasn't that much between the teams.  Crucial events went the way of Crokes( mostly our shooting from the wrong areas and dropping them short, wide too often)  Also too many times we took the ball into the tackle when there was no need to.  Credit must go to Crokes for their work rate and their game plan in suffocating the space.  I often have preached that if you can get 13 points on the board you will win most games and this was shown today.

As for the quality of the game, finals are often poor games due to the tension and what is at stake so I do not think it reflects fairly on the abilities of both teams.

The future for Cross is not all doom and gloom,  they still won 2 major trophies, they are still the most consistent team in Ireland, they do not become an ordinary team over night, but I do agree that the legs for some of the lads seem to be getting heavier.  There will be changes, what they will be remains to be seen, but I don't see wholesale ones and I still think that if Mickey Mac or John Murtagh had been sensible today with their shooting then the game would have swung our way. That is football though and has been pointed out we have had the good luck as well as the bad luck so no complaints.

Well done Cross for getting this far and well done Crokes for winning.

[deaconblue]

cross were a very effective and successfull side,there "style" got them success even if it was hard to enjoy watching it,however time waits for no man and to be honest they have been going downhill for a while. all the signs were  there  but it seems many ignored it(thankfully the bookies in particular), youth , hunger ,and a very clever manager won the day today, congrats to crokes .

[Owenmoresider]

I suspect the rest of the clubs in Armagh might be getting a little optimism going that at long bloody last one of them might win the County Title.

Like it was with Clan na nGael in yer parts not so long ago. After the inglorious four-in-a-row run ended, they did manage to add another title or two before they went down in Ros though. Wonder will it be a similiar manner - Clan got a hiding off Ros Gaels, just like Mary's did here when their reign ended back in that time. Maybe the likes of Harps, Ógs, Dromintee etc. will seize the chance to avenge the past defeats and bury them if it falls for them to do it. Might have to wait for that day yet, but Cross have been some outfit over the last decade-plus. 27 finals without defeat is serious going.

[mountainboii]

Cross deservedly beaten by a bigger and younger team. Crokes had a very well organised (8 man) defence and they more than matched Cross in the physical stakes. This stopped Cross running through them, which is what they do to most teams. They had too many small men in attack with no high ball outlet when plan A didn't work. Saying that, their shooting was terrible and they easily could have got within a couple of points, but they wouldn't have deserved anything out of it. They'll still probably be able to bully their way to another Armagh title next year, and maybe even another Ulster, but unless a couple of young McEntees, Bellews, and Donaldsons emerge they've probably dropped off the AI radar for a while.

Not too much to enthuse from an Armagh point of view. Paul Kernan was quite good I thought and Paul McKeown kept Vaughan fairly quiet from play. David McKenna was awful though, its worrying that so many in the county seem to have placed a lot of faith in the idea that he's Paul McGrane's natural successor. He'd want learn how to jump properly if he's to step up to county level. Brendan McKeown and Micky McNamee, who some have championed for the Armagh panel, were woeful too - no where near county material. Truth told, only Aaron Kernan on the Cross side looked like he was capable of playing at a higher level.

A pity, a Cross win would've been a decent fillip for the county at a time when they seem to be stumbling about a bit  

[Shortso79]

Congratulations to the Crokes

The best team won

Cross had a bad day at the office

From a neutrals point of view - it wasnt a great game of football - but I'm sure the Crokes don't care

Cross can regroup and look forward to defending their Armagh and Ulster Titles - whilst going for the record 14 Armagh title in a row

Cross will be back.....

[stiffler]

Well done crokes...looked like they wanted it more.

Younger, fitter, faster...and crucially less wasteful in possession.

Cross should learn from this, and everyone will learn they are not unbeatable!

[INDIANA]

I suspect the rest of the clubs in Armagh might be getting a little optimism going that at long bloody last one of them might win the County Title.

Cant see it.. They will still take Armagh in 2nd or 3rd gear this year..

Standard must only be atrocious then so.

[brokencrossbar1]

I suspect the rest of the clubs in Armagh might be getting a little optimism going that at long bloody last one of them might win the County Title.

Cant see it.. They will still take Armagh in 2nd or 3rd gear this year..

Standard must only be atrocious then so.

f**k up you w**ker, we lost today and deservedly so, but by your idiotic logic the standard in Ulster is shit and the standard in Munster is shit, and the standard in Leinster mustn't be that great either because trust me today Crokes played well but we were flat and the fact that we have been playing so often in the last 13 years came back to haunt us today.  One swallow does not make a summer, nor does one AI make you a great team.  We are a great team and have proved it consistently.  We were beaten by a team who played better than us today, but trust me fuckwits like you help motivate us to come back and ran it down your f**king throats.

[armaghniac]

Well done to Crokes, they had a plan and had taken lessons from the Vincent's game last year. Old legs in a big pitch may have had an influence but the most disappointing performances from Cross probably came from players with another decade in them rather than the old stagers. I think the big semi final win did harm to the mental frame of mind for Cross', they lacked fire today, which is unexpected and the game lacked something as consequence.

[Joxer]

Just home from and too tired to go into anything major but quick summary,

Crokes were better team and took their chances

Cross look lethargic and ran out of ideas

Hearty Liability

Kinneavy give any have decision to Crokes

Vaughan is a wee rat,  when people from your own county really really depise you, this is pretty evident.

Indiana,  If every club had the bank balance of some of the Dublin Clubs we would be flying.  If you ask any of the top clubs in Armagh they firmly believe that if they were in any other county bar Armagh they would have a number of county championships, the hand they were dealt, they have come around with the most sucessful club team in the history of the Association,  they have to deal with that.

Magee in midfielder is a sc**bag, should have walked once if not twice,  how linesman didnt see him thump Tony Kernan in face is beyond me.

Fair play to Murtagh who seen when players were below parred they were shipped off,

Cross were beat on their fourth substitution

Final point,  walking out of Croke Park today,  I couldnt help but notice the amound of Crokes people walking out of the ground.  Final whistle just after going and the proudest moment in your clubs history and you just walk out.  There is a fair amount of people granted whom it will mean a great deal to win it but the amount of people who it seemed win feck all.  Coming from a junior club and only wishing for a day like this, looking at it annoyed the hell out of me and I wasnt the only one listening to people.

[Redhandfan]

I have to laugh at those who say that Crossmaglen are 'finished' as a result of what happened today.  Less than 24 hours ago, Cross were still being hailed as the one of the greatest club teams ever.  One defeat does not make them a spent force.  In Kilmacud Crokes, they came up against a fiercely determined and highly motivated side who surprised me big time with the intensity of their play from start to finish.  The Dublin champions also held their own in the physical stakes and had a tremendous self-belief that appeared to catch even the opposition by surprise.

Crossmaglen had a bad day but I suspect they will still be a major force in Ulster and the All-Ireland for years to come.

[INDIANA]

I suspect the rest of the clubs in Armagh might be getting a little optimism going that at long bloody last one of them might win the County Title.

Cant see it.. They will still take Armagh in 2nd or 3rd gear this year..

Standard must only be atrocious then so.

f**k up you w**ker, we lost today and deservedly so, but by your idiotic logic the standard in Ulster is shit and the standard in Munster is shit, and the standard in Leinster mustn't be that great either because trust me today Crokes played well but we were flat and the fact that we have been playing so often in the last 13 years came back to haunt us today.  One swallow does not make a summer, nor does one AI make you a great team.  We are a great team and have proved it consistently.  We were beaten by a team who played better than us today, but trust me fuckwits like you help motivate us to come back and ran it down your f**king throats.

Ah yes insults- the doyen of people who can't debate. I would imagine if a team won 13 titles in a row that the standard of the other clubs isn'tupto much. Having seen some of them at close quarters I know the standard isn't good. That doesn't take away from Cross's achievements as the Ulster club championship is the hardest to win.but it can't be good for football in the county. Sorry if the truth hurts mate but I'm entitled to my opinion and I couldn't be accused of being a dyed in the wool Dublin fan as I've rarely anything good to say about the Dublin football team and I'm well aware of how bad we are.
A sense of perspective from you guys would be nice sometimes but as they say- there none so blind as those that can't see.
Look at that not an expletive in sight.

[orangeman]

Very well done to Kilmacud - I've said for a good while now that this Cross team are probably the best club side of all time and I'm not going to change my mind on that  - so for Kimacud to beat them in the first final that Cross have lost in ( not sure if I'm right in saying that - I heard it said by others ) , says a lot for this Crokes team. You can't dismiss or take away from Crokes' performance in any way - alright Cross were flat and weren't tested sufficiently in the semi final - but Kimacud are the champs having beaten a very,very good side.


Well done Crokes. Hard luck to Cross who I'm sure will just dust themselves down and get back up on the horse again. Expect to see them bounce back with a maybe one or two retirements along the way. They have given us tremendous entertainment all down the years and don't owe any of us anything.

[INDIANA]

Not at all if you knew your Gaa history(which you obviously don't) you'd know vincents won 13 county titles in a row and it wasn't because we were fabulous. had a lot to do with the others not being very good. But then again I'd have a sense of perspective not something I'd expect you to appreciate.

[Owenmoresider]

Not at all if you knew your Gaa history(which you obviously don't) you'd know vincents won 13 county titles in a row and it wasn't because we were fabulous. had a lot to do with the others not being very good. But then again I'd have a sense of perspective not something I'd expect you to appreciate.

Wrong. Ye won 7 and 6 - 1949-55 and 1957-62. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_Senior_Football_Championship

Ballina hold the record jointly with Cross of 13, unless someone else did it and is keeping very quiet about it.