All-Ireland Club Championship

[heganboy]

oraisteach- watched the game in Fiona's on 1st and 86th- fair crowd watching the game

[David McKeown]

I thought Cross were actually the unlucky ones on the day and missed some very scorable chances.  Apart from 10 or 15 mins in the second half I felt they were the better team and probably should have won on the day.

[johnpower]

Too many steps by McConville but still both teams get another chance .Crokes did well after losing Brosnan and McMahon .Gooch really pulled the strings when he came out onto the 40.

[Bogball XV]

I thought Cross were actually the unlucky ones on the day and missed some very scorable chances.  Apart from 10 or 15 mins in the second half I felt they were the better team and probably should have won on the day.

They maybe missed some scorable chances, but I thought they were very poor, maybe that's because we expect more form them.  I actually thought the overall standard in club football this year was poor, as Crokes are no world beaters either - still, they can only beat what's out there and fair play to them both, God knows I'd have loved to have got there (well even past round 1 in the championship would have been an achievement for me )

[SuperDooperCooper]

Just back from the game - gutted......Cross missed alot but how a ref missed all those steps at the end....
Have a feeling Crokes left it after them still the loss of MOTM from the drawn semi final (McMahon) and the replay (Brosnan) had crokes in terrible trouble, a goal after half time and it look curtins against a team of Cross's experience but fair play to Crokes they played excellent football for most of the second half. Shite first half, good second half roll on the replay.

[Bogball XV]

when is the replay?

[SuperDooperCooper]

Sunday 1st April in Portlaoise.

[holylandsniper]

Isnt Armagh playin Laois previous night there aswell?

[Mourne Rover]

Cross got out of jail. From a Cusack Stand view, a Croke's defender seemed to have been floored in the run-up to Oisin McConville's goal. Croke's, who were clearly the better side overall, then dominated until the closing stages when Cross showed the class of champions in injury time. McConville, as has so often been the case, made all the difference, and Down fans will be happy that he will not be involved in the National League next Sunday. If Cross can deal with Cooper dropping back, they should win the replay.
However, for vision and pace, he is as good as there has been in the last 20 years.

[magickingdom]

over 25,000 at the game which is a 'good' crowd considering the rugby was going on. think there was 38,000 last year or the year before. croker really needs to get 40,000 to have a good athmosphere... (look at the athmosphere in rome yesterday with 25,000)

[fearglasmor]

Oisin of the 22 steps!

Beat me to it.  Maybe not 22 but.....................

[corn02]

Will the Cross ons be allowed to play for Armagh U21S next week?

[Declan]

Its a pleasure to watch Cooper play. He is as good as anyone I've seen and his movement and passing are a joy to watch. Thought there was a third man tackle to allow Oisin in for the goal which he took brilliantly alright. Thought Crokes played the better football but Crossmaglen's experience kept them in it and if Brosnan and MacMahon are out then I thin kthey'll take the replay. Enjoyed the day but a pity the hurling was so one sided.

[brokencrossbar1]

I did not enjoy that match one bit!  I am a bad supporter at the best of times but good love the poor girl in front of me because I kicked her seat more times than I would the ball in a game. 

The game it self was poor in the first half and decent in the second half.  The referee was very inconsistent and I think the occassion got to him just as much as it did to some of the players.  Cross played well in patches but overall they will not be happy with their hours work.  The full forwards had the taking of their men if they got early ball in to them but the ball was too slow out of the half back line.  They though will have to work on shooting from impossible positions.  They seemed to panic a bit especially in the early part of the second half.

I followed the play for the goal and didn't see any third man tackle.  This happens and balances iyself out over a game.  There was an awful lot of pulling by the Crokes FB line on their men which went unpunished.  Oisin did take too many steps but he was fouled as he was coming out with it so perhaps the ref took that into consideration.

A draw is probably the fairest result over the whole game and much will depend on who can take more from the game.  It will be a hard lift for Pat O Shea to get his players up after they had one hand on the cup.

Roll on being and April Fool

[lynchbhoy]

thought Cross were destroyed at midfield. That big Cross midfielder only caught one ball and that was right at theend. Crokes also dominated in the breaking ball stakes. Why did Cross take off number 10 - he was their best player in the first half. Crokes full back line look quite fragile to me.
Crokes played better without the CHB and Brosnan - which is mystifying - or commendable I suppose as the rest of the team stood up to take their places and compensate for the loss.

Thought Cross seemed intent on kicking themselves out of it - attempting multiple shots from out near the corner flag whilst against a strong wind. Lunacy.
Then missing 'easy' scorable shots in front of goals.
Crokes upped their play and fair play to cooper, he was brought out the field after getting nothing from the cross full back line, and showed there is more to his game - but winning breaks, picking up ball from defense and setting up attacks.
Doubt if there will be much in it the next day either.

Had some good company before the game too - as we tried to cross the 'iron curtain'