All Ireland Club Championships - Final Stages

[PadraicHenryPearse]

gutted but really cannot complain. better team won on the day. Cynical and cute are two words id use to describe Cross and that is not in a bad way, It worked and they won.

Some lads didn't turn up for us and losing Cathal was massive but how he played 20 minutes is a miracle 19 days after doing his hamstring. JT was the wrong opinion at that time, he had not played in nearly 3 mths. We lost midfield and our full-back line was roasted. Domican was excellant but wing half backs weren't great and i think that was down to nerves.

Ref was poor for both sides from a brigids point of view he should have booked a few for all the fouling going on coming out of our half back line which might have stopped it. Two soft frees in front of the goal near the end of the second half were a joke. Darren dolan make a great tackle and how robbie kelly got a yellow for a great tackle was a joke. Cross second goal could have been a free out on another day. Also seemed when surrounded by 3 players Cross got frees but Brigids couldn't buy a free in simlar situations.

Saying all that they are more ifs and buts then massive complains about the ref.

I don't think Cross had any wides in the 2nd half. When 2 up Kilbride hit a wide which would have put us 3 up and maybe the confidence might have driven us on from there. Also the three wides at the end sucked the life out of the players especially Frankie whose head dropped after that free.

Gutted but Great reception back in the Club and great to see all the kids getting the the players autographs nd the excitement in the parish the last 3 weeks

[neilthemac]

it was a good game - huge crowd up from Ros for it

a referee must do their job - be consistant (which he wasn't in relation to the tackle) constant fouling has to be carded. cynical play has to be punished. If that was done Cross wouldn't have ended the game with 15 players. time wasting and late substitutions have to be met with time added on for the actual time lost

once Cross got ahead they just dropped a player back to cover Kilbride and then Brigids started running - Cross were very good in using their physiques to stop attackes

[Orangemac]

Congrats to Cross. Great to see them back as AI champs.

Weren't at their best but always capable of doing enough. The great thing about Cross is that they are not reliant on 1 or 2 players. McKenna had a great game ( should be in Armagh panel) whereas other days Hanratty is more prominent.

Kilbride deserves a mention as he was brilliant. With Galway and Mayos woes are Roscommon favourites to retain Connaught this year?

[ross4life]

Congrats to Cross. Great to see them back as AI champs.

Weren't at their best but always capable of doing enough. The great thing about Cross is that they are not reliant on 1 or 2 players. McKenna had a great game ( should be in Armagh panel) whereas other days Hanratty is more prominent.

Kilbride deserves a mention as he was brilliant. With Galway and Mayos woes are Roscommon favourites to retain Connaught this year?

Where big outsiders again, bookies reckon we will lose to Sligo.

[Cold tea]

Well done Cross, I'm amazed they won it to be brutally honest having watched them from the first round in the Armagh SFC, amazing achievement. 

Tony Mac for Armagh!

This is now like your signature tune, you can only beat who you are playing - armagh club football is shite!

I know benny well, he knows his football and he watches a lot of it, if he thinks Tony mac could still do a job for the county he is right.
Generally players that are able to stand out against the best teams in the country tend to be county material.

Good luck to him - I never questioned Tony Mac!

[drici]

Hail Glorious Crossmaglen Rangers, Kings of our Isle for the fifth time

All-Ireland Senior Football Final

Crossmaglen Rangers 2-11 St Brigid's 1-11

The footballing folk from all over Roscommon descended on Croke Park in support of the Red and Green clad team from the parishes of Kiltoom and Cam who hoped to turn the national holiday into St Brigid's Day but in keeping with tradition it was "Hail Glorious, Crossmaglen Rangers, Kings of our Isle for the fifth time" who were celebrating at the final whistle on St Patrick's Day.
The first time finalists from Roscommon can be very proud of their performance but in the end it was the clinical finishing and execution of their duties by their more experienced opponents which carried the day. The underdogs held a slender one point interval lead which was quickly doubled upon the restart but a 1-3 scoring burst in a seven minute spell gave Rangers a 4 point cushion which proved a bridge too far Brigid's who were one dimensional in attack and overly-reliant on the excellent Senan Kilbride.

Crossmaglen Rangers kept faith with the starting 15 against Kilmacud while St Brigid's were again forced to line-out without their injured team captain Niall Grehan and opted to bring in Conor McHugh in place of David O'Connor from the selected side.

Straight from the throw-in by Meath referee, Cormac Reilly, Rangers claimed the psychological advantage as David McKenna caught the ball and was fouled. Four years ago when the teams last met it was a 19 year old David who was Man of the Match with a towering midfield performance. An injury plagued season had seen David's form dip but on Thursday the rangy midfielder was back to his best as he and his partner Johnny Hanratty shored up early in the match with the addition of substitute John McEntee curbed the previous match winning influences weaved by Brigid's midfielders Karol Mannion and Garvan Dolan. McKenna matched up with Dolan (who received the games first yellow and rode his luck throughout the match by not picking up a deserved second especially for his challenge on Stephen Kernan with a few minutes of the match remaining) and caught some great ball. Indeed some fine fetching from McKenna , John McEntee, Stephen Kernan and one in the last minute from Oisin McConville were a feature for Cross at midfield.

FIRST HALF

Veteran Oisin McConville registerd the first of six Cross wides in the opening half, double that of their opponents, but Rangers were far more economical in the second half with no wides and 1-6 to their credit as Brigid's registered 5 second half wides which tallied with their points scored. Oisin, and inside full forward line partner Jamie Clarke combined for Man of the Match, Jamie to open the games scoring with a super point which was quickly cancelled by the first of his five pointed frees from Senan Kilbride after he was fouled by Rangers Captain Paul McKeown. After an Aaron Cunningham wide Clarke popped up on the right to rifle over his second point from play from an acute angle with goalkeeper Philip Martin struggling as the ball bounced over off the crossbar. Eight minutes into the match a second Kilbride free levelled matters and a minute later Kilbride filtered the ball to Cathal McHugh who shot Brigid's into a 3 points to 2 lead.

A late challenge on Oisin as he hit a wide gave Aaron Kernan from the free the chance to level at 3 all. Brigid's hit their third wide as Dolan picked up the first of the days total of 8 yellow cards. Stephen Kernan found Oisin with a good pass and the Rangers talisman doubled his points tally with his first from play. A foul on Conor McHugh enabled Kilbride level the match for the fourth time but the Connacht champions were dealt a bad blow when point scorer Cathal McHugh had to retire injured replaced by John Tiernan who played when the sides last met. Stephen Kernan and Oisin were wide of the mark before on 21 minutes a foul on Johnny Hanratty gave Oisin his third point as Cross led 0-5 to 0-4. From the kick-out Aaron Kernan gained possession played the ball to Jamie who launched a crossfield ball which was superbly fielded on the 21 yard line by David McKenna. Surrounded by players and heading ground wards David made a great pass to Aaron Cunningham who had only one thing on his mind as he blasted a terrific unstoppable shot past a helpless Martin in the Brigid's goal. Suddenly daylight in the shape of 4 points had developed in a match where there had previously been nothing, an early test of the underdogs resolve. As in the Connacht final and All-Ireland semi-final that part of the game was alive and well in the Roscommon men as they replied with a green flag of their own. Rangers came raiding after the goal but McKenna lost possession and another long diagonal ball from Frankie Dolan towards Kilbride saw Cross player Paul McKeown under the ball with Aaron Kernan coming over the top of him as the ball eluded both and fell to the unmarked Eoin Sheehy. Sheehy bore down on goals with Paul Hearty advancing well to pull off a super stop but the ball broke off Paul back to Sheehy who tapped into an empty net 1-5 to 1-4 game back on. Two minutes later Kilbride knocked over his first point from play to level matters for the fifth time which triggered the Cross bench to introduce John McEntee for Francis Hanratty. McEntee caught the first ball that came his way from Hearty's kick-out followed by Rangers sixth wide of the half off the boot of Aaron Kernan. In the two minutes of added time Brigid's regained the lead as Kilbride notched his fifth point of the half following a foul on himself. It read St Brigid's 1-6 Crossmaglen Rangers 1-5 at the short whistle.

The rival manager would both have been reasonably happy with the first half. Cross would need to cut off the Frankie Dolan to Senan Kilbride supply line, Brigids had the double task of curtailing Clarke and McConville. It was anyone's game but one felt that there was more potency in the Cross attack and Brigid's needed someone feeding off the good ball Kilbride was getting to make a telling impact.

SECOND HALF

Brigid's gained possession from the throw-in and Kilbride and Sheehy combined to find Frankie Dolan all alone and as close to goal as he had been since the match began. The stand-in Captain spurned the goal opportunity in favour of a point to put two between the teams. Kilbride could have made it three but his effort tailed wide. Rangers avenue back into the match was softly given away by goalkeeper Martin. Fielding a dropping Hanratty ball the keeper was slow to release the ball and was quickly engulfed by Rangers players forcing him to hold onto the ball too long. Oisin did not look the gift horse in the mouth to reduce the deficit to the minimum 1-7 to 1-6 from the free. A scoreless five minute spell followed in which Aaron Kernan and Johnny Hanratty along with Senan Kilbride picked up yellow cards. A crossfield ball into space from John McEntee was seized upon by Clarke who skipped round the defender to level the match for the sixth and final time with his third point from play 1-7 each. A minute later Clarke got the score which broke St Brigid's hearts. John McEntee won the kick-out from the levelling free and channelled it through to Clarke who gave it to Oisin who filtered it back to McKenna. A high punt towards Stephen Kernan on the edge of the square saw the break ball snapped up by Jamie. The point was the easy option but instead he shimmied through a crowded goalmouth and deftly placed the ball in the back of the Brigid's net. Before the dust could settle on the goal McKenna picked up a yellow card and Rangers management brought Mickey McNamee into the fray instead of goalscorer Cunningham. A surging run forward by half back Stephen Finnegan saw him fouled allowing Oisin to extend the Cross lead to 4 points 2-8 to 1-7 with 20 minutes left on the clock. Paul Kernan given a torrid time all day by Kilbride but stuck manfully and diligently to his task getting his hand to some vital second half interceptions was shown a yellow card for a foul on Kilbride who converted his teams first score for 10 minutes. First half goalscorer Sheehy picked up a yellow card as Ian Kilbride recorded Brigid's second wide of the half. A lovely pass from Stephen Kernan found Clarke whose vision and ball played into the path of McConville was magnificent. The move had goal written all over it but as the keeper advanced Oisin seemed to sky his effort over the bar, still the margin was back to 4 points 2-9 to 1-8. The games top scorer Kilbride reduced the deficit to a goal scoring a super point from play following good interplay with Tiernan. Cross brought on sub number 3 as Martin Aherne replaced Tony Kernan as St Brigid's introduce Damien Kelleher for Conor McHugh just before a good point from midfielder Karol Mannion left it a 2 point game 1-10 to 2-9 inside the final 10 minutes.

Hearty's kickout was caught majestically by John McEntee who trickled the ball along the ground to Mickey McNamee who gave it to Oisin back to Aaron and then onto Finnegan whose upfield surge was halted at the expense of a free by Robbie Kelly who got his teams fourth yellow card. The old maestro Oisin points for the sixth time in the game to give Cross a goal cushion 2-10 to 1-10 with Kyle Carragher coming off the bench for Finnegan with 7 minutes remaining. Brigid's old maestro Frankie Dolan was wide of the mark twice as he team piled on the pressure and then introduced forward David O Connor for Tiernan in a bid to nail back the all important match levelling goal. Stephen Kernan plucked one out of the skies with a terrific leap and was caught in mid air by a nasty challenge from Garvan Dolan which went unpunished. Stephen was down for a while , time which referee Reilly seemed to ignore when it came to added on time which was only 2 minutes. The pace was still hectic as McKenna was pulled up for overcarrying allowing Dolan to fire the ball as was usual towards the irrepressible Kilbride who had amazingly found space some twenty yards from goal. The big full forward caught the ball and turned immediately to fire a blockbuster for goals but his well struck effort sailed between the upright much to the relief of those in amber and black for his eight and last point of the game 2-10 to 1-11.


As they clock ticked towards overtime they was a tremendous show of appreciation by the Crossmaglen faithful as the iconic Francie Bellew came in for Stephen Kernan. If ever there was a man to be under the high ball that was coming in as Brigid's came in search of a goal similar to that which gave them extra-time in the Connacht final, Francie was the man that all of Crossmaglen would have bestowed their faith as he had done it time again over the last 15 years. A fluffed free by Danny O Callaghan saw Darren Dolan fouled. Would Kilbride go for the point or drop it into the square? He elected for the point but unfortunately for him given his outstanding display the ball went wide. Possession from the kick-out was going to be vital.

During all of his 118 championship games out of 121 which he started, finished and scored in for Cross since 1996 Oisin McConville has performed many spectacular feats but to see the oldest man on the field leap like a Spring Salmon in midfield to field the most important kick of the day capped anything that he had ever done. After fielding the ball had the vision and presence to release one of his teams "super subs" Kyle Carragher. Kyle flew down the touchline then cut in along the endline leaving Kelly in his wake and with the complete composure fisted the ball over the bar for a 2-11 to 1-11 lead. The final whistle sounded from the kick-out bringing to an end a most enjoyable sporting encounter.

HAVE MADE THEIR OWN NICHE

While it was not to be for Brigid's, the Roscommon champions can look back on their first appearance in the Senior Club decider with a lot to be proud of. They will still look back on the game as an opportunity lost, but so have many sides who have been beaten by Crossmaglen Rangers. The Armagh champions are past masters at grinding out the win, holding on for dear life in the final 10 minutes as if it is second nature to them but all the while when you look back on their performances they seem to do all of this with a bit to spare. Forced to play without their Captain and losing Cathal McHugh were a big blow to manager Noel O'Brien's plans. The former inter-county referee was very gracious in defeat alluding to the fact that the concession of two goals is a lot to pull back from. Our heads dropped a little when the second goal went in but we came back strong. The better team won, they didn't give us any space inside and were very sharp and organised.

After losing the All-Ireland final and then their hold on the Armagh championship back in 2009, the demise of the most successful club in modern day history was clearly expected by many. When one undergoes major surgery sometimes the recovery time can be endless or never. Crossmaglen Rangers 2010 had a central spine Francie Bellew, John Donaldson, John and Tony McEntee removed which would decimated many a club for an awful long time. Without a championship for 10 years back in 1996 Rangers changed from their traditional style of catch and kick following their losses of 2009 they lost their power players which gave them a huge physical presence especially when the going got tough.

Yet they recovered from that major surgery within 12 months which is great testimony to the club and players. The new management team of Tony McEntee and Gareth O'Neill would be given a while to bed in and maybe come back to retain Armagh in 2011. But the duo and remaining squad members had other ideas. The old hands would be replaced by young blood in James Morgan (18), Danny O'Callaghan (20), Aaron Cunningham (21) Francis Hanratty (21) the team would also be transformed physically. Getting the blend of youth and experience has been superbly done by the management. Tony and Gareth have used the bench of very talented players to perfection all year. Rarely over the course of a sporting campaign has substitutions played such a vitally important role in achieving success. Cross developed their own game plan, a way they would play regardless of the opposition, team managers showed faith in players who despite a few ropey performances were still given the nod for the next day out. Those said same players repaid their managers trust and belief by giving their all, be it good or bad on a given day. Three times over the course of a 15 month campaign serious questions were asked of Cross in games and they responded to the task in hand. They may have been young, naive and in-experienced but the heart ,desire, commitment, selfless sacrifices that are needed to succeed at the highest were all properly nurtured within them and the greatest Cross attribute you grind it out until the final whistle sounds-then and only then are you a winner or a loser.

In their post match interviews Oisin and Aaron Kernan were adamant that it was the return to basics by Tony and Gareth which brought back the unity and hunger that had naturally slipped a little, due to the phenomenal success, which was key to their fifth All-Ireland triumph.

The entire squad of Crossmaglen Rangers 2010 have started a new chapter in the club's history. They have emerged from the shadows of former great teams to create their own piece of history. Back in 1996 Rangers were the youngest ever team to win an All-Ireland club title. With veterans Paul Hearty and Oisin McConville on the starting St Patrick's Day 2011 first 15 the average age of Cross is just under 24, without the duo under 22. Better still 5 of Thursday's starting team, James Morgan, Danny O'Callaghan, Jamie Clarke, Francis Hanratty and Aaron Cunningham along with a half dozen other panel members are savouring their first All-Ireland medal. The county and country may watch out as the Amber and Black brigade from Crossmaglen are once again on the march.

The front of our Souvenir Supplement carried the question "One more for the road?" and featured a picture of Paul Hearty, Francie Bellew, John McEntee and Oisin McConville who have now won amassed 14 Armagh championships, 8 Ulster Titles and 5 All-Ireland medals with their club. The performances of a trio of them in Croke Park has left no doubts that they could feature on the front cover next year under the same heading, the fourth member can do what he likes as he is a living legend.

Crossmaglen: P Hearty; P McKeown, P Kernan, J Morgan; A Kernan (0-1), D O'Callaghan, S Finnegan; J Hanratty, D McKenna; J Clarke (1-3), S Kernan, F Hanratty; T Kernan, A Cunningham (1-0), O McConville (0-6). Subs: J McEntee for F Hanratty (29), M McNamee for Cunningham (40), M Ahern for T Kernan (49), K Carragher (0-1) for S Finnegan (53), F Bellew for S Kernan (60).

St Brigid's:
P Martin; R Kelly, D Donnelly, D Sheehy; I Kilbride, P Domican, G Cunniffe; G Dolan, K Mannion (0-1); E Sheehy (1-0), Cathal McHugh (0-1), D Nolan; Conor McHugh, S Kilbride (0-8), F Dolan (0-1). Subs: John Tiernan for Cathal McHugh (21), Damien Kelleher for Conor McHugh (52), D O'Connor for J Tiernan (58).

Referee: Cormac Reilly (Meath)

[crossfire]

I"ve been saying it since round 2 of the Armagh SFC, but this is very ordinary Cross team, not within an asses roar of recent vintages. 2 players to blot out, Oisin & Jamie, if KC do that they'll win pulling up.

All Ireland Champions. Not bad going for a very ordinary team.

[crossfire]

In wednesday's Irish News Benny Tierney says that Cross are better than Kerry.

[Winnie Peg]

In wednesday's Irish News Benny Tierney says that Cross are better than Kerry.

No wonder then that he is regarded as a clown!

[crossfire]

I was only joking but at least it gave you a chance to show your anti Cross bias again.

[DuffleKing]

I was only joking but at least it gave you a chance to show your anti Cross bias again.

LOL. no chip on your shoulder then...

[Armamike]

Read again what Tierney's saying. Winning one club AI is some achievement considering the amount of games that need to be played and won to get to that stage. Most clubs who make the breakthrough can never muster themselves to get back again.  Cross will be starting to defend their crown in no time again, with the first round of the county championship coming up. To win 5 AIs in 13 or 14 seasons, reaching another final and a number of semi finals is remarkable.

[brokencrossbar1]

The good thing about the armagh championship is that it doesn't start till august. I must say this has helped in many ways as it means that the players have had a bit of time to tick over as it were. It has also allowed younger players to develop in to senior players.

[drici]

February 18th (Saturday)
All Ireland Senior Football Club Championship
Semi Finals:

St Brigids(Roscommon) v Garrycastle(Westmeath)
2-00pm   Pearse Park
(Extra Time if required)


Dr Crokes(Scaredybaas) v Crossmaglen Rangers(Armagh)
2-00pm   Portlaoise
(Extra Time if required)

[Syferus]

It'd have been great if the GAA had some sense and looked at the ol' globe and saw that a double bill in Tullamore/Pearse Park would have made perfect sense, let alone probably drawing in some extra neutrals.

In all fairness, though, even Dr. Crokes' best Don King impression this week hasn't took a speck of luster from the Athlone civil war. Ah Dessie, why weren't you born west of the Shannon?