Ulster Club Championships

[never kickt a ball]

What was shoes saying about humble club pros Slud?

[PatDaly]

Congrats to Cross.

Report from the Cross website.

As far as I can tell Cross now play Moorefield (Kildare) in the All-Ireland semi-final which will take place in February. I'm sure by then all of the injured Cross players will be back to full fitness.

Cross today won their firth Ulster title with a hard fought game in Casement Park, Belfast. This game will be remembered more for the terrible weather and the very low scoreline rather than the quality of the game. Terrible wind and rain resulted in dire underfoot conditions which left both teams struggling to put together any form of quality football.

It took twelve minutes for Cross to get on the scoresheet, it came from the boot of captain Oisin McConville after he was fouled himself. Cross played with the wind in the first half but this was not so much of an advantage as it swirled for most of the game, and this was the main contributing factor for the low scoring game.

Cross were not to score for another eighteen minutes and this was also from Oisin, again converting a free kick. Strangely, this was all the scoring that would be registered in the first half from both teams.

Cross were very strong in defence, particularly Ryan Carragher who was extremely strong, Tony McEntee did a great marking job on Enda Muldoon at full back and Paul Kernan snuffed out the threat of Conleith Gilligan for the entire game. Brendan McKeown and Shaun McNamee were equally reliable and John Donaldson picked up the man of the match award which reflects his importance in the game.

David McKenna had been drafted into the starting line up and was excellent at midfield and picked up a point in the second half. At full forward Johnny Hanratty was always out in front and was a threat to Ballinderry throughout the game.

In the second half Ballinderry were unable to utilize the relatively small advantage of the blustery wind and had to wait until the 50th minute before registering their first score, coming from the boot of Conleith Gilligan as he stepped up to convert a free kick. This was after David McKenna had notched his point so Cross retained that two point cushion they had at half time.

Cross were unlucky to have a goal disallowed for a square ball infringement after Brendan Mckeown had rifled the ball to the net however he was not going to finish the game scoreless as he scored a great point with his left foot after being set up by recently introduced Francie Bellew.

Ballinderry went onto score twice more leaving the final minutes a real nail biter as Cross tried to defend their lead and Ballinderry strove to get that all important goal that would seal victory for the Derry Champs.

John Murtagh, who was introduced in the second half finished the scoring for Cross with a well taken point.

Oisin McConville lifted the Ulster trophy in front of a jubilant mix of players and supporters and clearly stated that this team were looking for another All-Ireland title and going by the determination of today's display and the contribution that the younger players in the team made that looks a strong possibility.

Team:
Paul Hearty, Ryan Carragher, Tony McEntee, Shaun McNamee, Paul Kernan, John Donaldson, Brendan McKeown, Stephen Kernan, David McKenna, Stephen Clarke, John McEntee, Oisin McConville, Michael McNamee, Johnny Hanratty, Tony Kernan.

Substitutes:
J Murtagh for Tony Kernan
Francie Bellew for Stephen Clarke.

[brokencrossbar1]

I have to say I am a very proud Cross man today after another great achievement by everyone involved.  I obviously would have loved to have been involved but I have no regrets about my career   It is fantastic to see all the new lads doing so well, and to win an Ulster without two of the teams best players for most of the run makes it even better.  It is great for Donal, Califf and all involved to have brought the club back to the top and who knows what they can achieve.  With none of the so called strong clubs left apart from Cross they have a serious chance of going all the way.

On the management, Donal Murtagh was one of the smartest, is not the smartest footballer, i ever played with.  If ever someone lives and breaths sport it is him and he has a great ability to read the game.  Also he has shown that he is not afraid to make important decisions.  With Aaron kernan out against Clontibret, many club managers would have been tempted to play one of either Francie or Stephen Kernan even though they were hurt.  It was a great show of faith in his squad that he didn't play them and he has to be commended very highly for that.

Rufus you comment on how well they have done with a greatly changed team.  There were only 4 of the starting team that played in 1996, and Hearty didn't even play in the Ulster due to injury.  There has been a continuous re-invention of the team over the last 11 years.  Under Joe in the first 5 years or so the team practically picked itself.  There were generally only 2-3 places up for grabs.  However, with our success filtering down through the underage structure, players who 15 years ago would have given up have stuck at it.  There was always the undergae talent but for quite some time it never broke on through to senior.  Now every year there are 3-4 county minors on the Armagh squad and they are gradually making it through to the senior team allowing the oldies(like me ) to move on. Once they are coming on to a successful team they have the self belief, based on the players around them, to make it to the top every time.  Also the competitive spirit that O'neill posted about is enhanced by the added competition.  Also the continuity of those involved has a huge bearing on it.  We may be a huge club but the team is based on families. McEntees, Kernans, McNamees, Murtaghs,  McKeowns(the sub goalie is Brendan McKeowns brother).  David McKenna is a son of Donal McKenna, Joe Kernans selector.  It is all very close knit and when I was there there were never too many wee clicks, we all stuck together.

Anyway enough grandstanding by me, Well done and all going well I will see everyone in Croke Park on the 17th.

Pat daly, I believe they play the Connacht champions, St Brigid's now, but I could be wrong.

Charlie linkbox, Oisin is the only one with them all.  I could be wrong but I wopuld reckon he is the most decorated footballer currently playing.

[lynchbhoy]

I thought I read in the papers yesterday that one/both of the McEntees have all 11 medals also?

What struck me in your first AI was the amount of kids wearing club regalia in croker. It seemed that there were hundreds of boys/girls and youths wearing their Corssmaglen tracksuits.
Self promotion, plus then the final drawing factor - success.

I rem Murtagh playing - wasnt he full back/centre half back in the early days of success?
A good hard player, prob more synonymous for being tough than Francie was at that stage !

[Paddyofthehall]

The poor shamrocks

Max I notice you get a slagging from other people on this site and I can see why now - pure bitterness.

We got beat, on the day by a better team, we couldn't handle the conditions and cross were very strong but hey thats life, we just have to move on and try and retain derry next year. All the best to Cross, they are a club who we admire and strive to be similar to.

But no need from a fellow county club to resort to vitrilolic comments....

[brokencrossbar1]

A number of the lads have all 11 county medals, Francie, Oisin, Paul Hearty, one of the Macs, Cathal Short, Oisin though has 11 county medals, 5 Ulster Club medals, 3 All Ireland Club medals, 6 Ulster County Medals, a National League medal and an All Ireland medal as Charlie said.  No one else of the county players has that. 

All the kids in the area always wore Cross tracksuits, I had a few pairs of the old black ones with the straps around the bottoms and the groovy 3 yellow stripes down the side and that is 20ish years ago. Also seeing that Cathal Shorts da has the local sports shop and he played as well there is never any shortage of the stuff.

Donal was full back throughout the success.  He is actually harder than Francie as he would hit you just as hard but rarely gave away frees and I thunk was only sent off once in his career.  I marked him every night at training for a good few years and I know what the corner of his elbow feels like as he comes down on the top of your head after catching the ball above you
He actually dislocated his shoulde or elbow in the first half of the 2000 final against Na Fianna.  He played on and gave an exhibition cleaning Sherlock out of it.

[ClosetotheHarte]

BC1, good post. As a Tyrone man I have nothing but the highest admiration for Cross and what they have done. I had thought Ballinderry would win this one with Cross's injury problems - how foolish I was to underestimate the Armagh men.
The club's spirit is unbelievable. I make it 19 major finals that Cross have now won (11 Armagh, 5 Ulsters and 3 All-Irelands) inside the last dozen years and if I'm not mistaken they haven't lost a final in any of those three competitions. That record defies belief. It's incredible they have been able to keep that going for so long, with two/three different teams apart from the few constants. I'd say nobody in the game still playing can match what Oisin has achieved - I know Peter Canavan would give anything for one of those All-Ireland club medals he has.
Going by the last eleven years Cross just don't lose finals, so if they win the AI semi-final (against St Brigid's I think) then it's goodnight for whoever comes through the other half of the draw!
This Cross team will be talked about for decades as the greatest club team that Ulster has ever known - and as one of the best ever at national level.

[SlimShady]

Congrats to Cross, they are a wily old team and know how to grind out a result.

Commiserations to the Shamrocks, just wasn't to be! A young enough team to come back again though.

[bennydorano]

Congrats to Cross, must admit I didn't fancy them at all.   Does that put Cross top of the Ulster Roll of Honour?  Does anyone have a link or could maybe post the Roll.

[maxpower]

congrats to cross, unbelieveable achievements by the club.  terrible conditions for the match.

are cross the only team left with previous experience of the all-ireland club championships.  if they are i'd say that gives them a quare advantage.  best of luck to them

[brokencrossbar1]

Don't have a link, but joint top with Burren.

I would say they are they are maxpower.  There is an advantage but a lot of the Cross team have never played at AI level either, ie P Kernan, Ryan Carragher, M Aherne, D McKenna, J Hanratty

[Maximus Marillius]

BC1 congrats from the Tones, were planning next season already , hope you go all the way. I new in my heart that Ballinderry wouldnt beat ye. Hoped they would, only cause they are from Derry.

[el_cuervo_fc]

Congratulations to cross.  Great Achievement

[Hank Everlast]

Regardless of the score i thought yesterdays match was enteraining from start to finish.... cross won every battle on the field and david mckenna who was drafted in at midfield is really some player... he was all over the pitch, winning nearly everything that came near midfield and showed some good skill to get a point!!
with the likes of aaron kernan, francie, martin ahern available in march they will be a very tuff team to stop.

[Red Nose Red Hand]

Report on the RTE website  has moved Ballinderry , to Antrim,  perhaps the guy in the Tyrone Times  who seems to have taken a dislike to humble club pros in his most recent column , can explain this journalistic mistake.

Wise up Sludden. I went and got the Tyrone Times specially to read the article about slagging off pros and was very disappointed. He simply offered advice about how to do their job better. Maybe it was abit condecending, but not even showing dislike. And what interest would a Tyone paper have in Ballinderry. Incidentally, there is a Ballinderry in Antrim - you go through Ballinderry Upper on the way to the airport from Moira.