Ulster Senior Football Club Championship 2012

[Stevie Nicks]

Kilcoo beating Cross in a challenge earlier wasn't a good plan for them, as it gives Tony Mc an antidote to complacency.

As far as I know it was a draw!

[Stevie Nicks]

Cross also had a second team out that day so the challenge game will have no effect on eiter team come sun week.

[weebob]

cross had 2 players playing that played in the all ireland final. best of luck to kilcoo in the final UTM .

[downjim]

Apparently mayobridge got rid of jim as he asked for a large sum of money before ulster final a few years back. Bridge man in work told me

[brokencrossbar1]

Have been offside for a few weeks and will only be in on flying visits for a while. Enough has been said about the game on Sunday.Personally speaking I never felt that there was any real doubt in the result, I just had one of those feelings. I always felt we could open up EC for goal chances and I didn't  really see that threat from them.

Have watched Kilcoo once this year against Mayobridge and I have to say their work rate is phenomenal.  If we can match that I our experience will take us over the line in a very turgid low scoring event.

[drici]

Crossmaglen Rangers 2-10 Errigal Ciarán 0-10

Just over 24 hours earlier Crossmaglen Rangers bade a fond farewell to their loyal and faithful former assistant manager and staunch Ranger Ollie McEntee and honoured his memory by laying to rest their Errigal Ciarán bogey with a powerful dominant Second Half performance at a very chilly Clones venue.

The enforced change on Cross from the previous week as Kevin McKeown replaced flu victim Paul Hearty between the sticks meant that Oisín McConville was the only survivor from the matches in 1997 and 2002 against the Tyrone Champions who boasted an unbeaten record in 4 outings (2 wins, 2 draws) against the current dual Ulster and All Ireland Champions. To this current Cross team this was just a mere statistic that needed righting.

Johnny Hanratty combined with the three Kernan brothers Aaron, Stephen then Tony to set Jamie Clarke for a goal chance inside 20 seconds but the mercurial forward saw his goal attempt hit the underside of the crossbar and cleared to safety. Straight down at the other end Kevin McKeown whose last Ulster Championship outing was in 2006 in a 2-13 to 1-07 win over Mullahoran (Cavan) did extremely well under a high ball and handled it before being fouled. The understudy with 12 Armagh Championships, 6 Ulster and 3 All Ireland medals under his belt was not found wanting on the big occasion varying his kicks out when needed with excellent distribution of the ball - a reward for his patience and dedication given that his opportunities have been few and far between.

Cross swept upfield from the free out for the foul on their goalkeeper with corner back Paul McKeown getting on the end of a sublime pass from Stephen Kernan only to be fouled before he could shoot enabling Oisín McConville to open the scoring from the resulting free. A converted free from Darren Canavan following a foul on Ronan McRory brought the equaliser on 4 minutes before another foul on McRory following a terrific 5 man move allowed Thomas Canavan gave Errigal the lead. A second from Canavan, from play, stretched the lead to 3-1 on 11 minutes as the Tyrone outfit dominated around the middle. A minute later raiding corner back Paul Hughes followed up last week's point with another to reduce the deficit to 3-2 but the lead was soon doubled as Ciarán McGinley pointed from play. Experienced Tyrone keeper John Devine got caught out with a short pass that Clarke intercepted drawing a foul converted by McConville 4-3 at the end of the First Quarter.

Inside a minute Errigal added two points to stretch their lead to a goal. Firstly Paul Kernan was harshly penalised for picking the ball off the ground and Canavan converted then the McGinley's Cormac and Ciarán combined to set up Canavan for his second point of the Half to make it 6-3 on 19 minutes. Two minutes later Cross were back on level terms after raising a green flag. Paul Kernan was fouled and delivered the free long to his brother Stephen who launched a high ball into the square to Jamie who despite the close attention of 3 defenders deftly put the ball past Devlin for the game's first goal. Minutes later despite being fouled, Clarke tagged on a point for Cross to lead 1-04 to 0-06 with 5 minutes to go to the short whistle. It was the Tyrone side that pushed on to the break as McRory and Canavan, both from play, gave the perfect reply to the Rangers goal. A rattled Cross showed a very rare sign of panic as they hit 4 wides on the trot with Oisín missing followed by one from substitute Mickey McNamee, just on for Aaron Cunningham, then skipper David McKenna got in on the act and just not to be a fish out of water Martin Aherne brought the half to a close with Rangers fifth wide with Errigal hitting 3.

Cross were out early for the Second Half with a sting in their tail as they looked to impose their game on the challengers who had dictated matters for most of the opening half. The black and amber brigade swarmed all over Errigal from the throw-in dominating possession for the entire Half but were not registering their superiority on the scoreboard. Pointed frees from Oisín and Aaron Kernan edged Cross back in front 1-06 to 0-08 and from then on they were never headed. Paul Kernan cleared out of defence to Aherne who offloaded to Oisín who doubled the lead on 41 minutes. As Errigal struggled to get meaningful possession Cross piled on the pressure but no scores as a barren 9 minute spell was broken as Paul Quinn misplaced a pass directly to Stephen Kernan who was fouled by Ciarán Quinn (yellow card) leaving Oisín to convert to make it 1-08 to 0-08 with 10 minutes left in the game. A sweeping Errigal move saw McRory notch their first score from the re-start after twenty minutes to keep them in contention just 2 points in arrears. Jamie Clarke sent Johnny Hanratty through one on one with Devine but the keeper smothered his hesitant goal attempt. A minute later Aaron Kernan sent Johnny through the Errigal defence with players overlapping on either side it looked as if the Rangers man had carried the ball into trouble but despite being fouled he got the ball to his Captain who put the game to bed by smashing the ball to the roof of the net 2-08 to 0-09.

Errigal's best player Peter Harte careered forward for a great solo point his team's second and last score of the Half. Tony Kernan from play made it 2-09 to 0-10 as Cross emptied their substitutes' bench. A foul on Tony Kernan saw brother Stephen score to end the scoring leaving Cross comfortably through to their tenth Provincial final. It may have been a chilly day in Clones but there was a warm glow in the overhead sky at the final whistle as the former mentor began his eternal rest with a broad grin and no doubt a few more converted Cross Rangers before the upcoming final. Cross will face first time Finalists Kilcoo who upset the St Gall's applecart which will leave the Rangers seeking back to back victories over the champions of Down having beaten Burren last year.

Crossmaglen Rangers – K McKeown,  P Hughes  (0-1),  P Kernan,  P.McKeown;  A Kernan (0-2) , J Morgan, M Aherne;  J Hanratty,  D McKenna (1-0) , T Kernan (0-1) , S Kernan (0-1), A Cunningham;  O McConville (0-4) , J Clarke (1-1), K Carragher Subs- M McNamee for Cunningham, C. Camiskey for Carragher, K Brennan for McConville. P Grant for Clarke, R Finnegan for Aherne.

Errigal Ciarán -J. Devine; A.McCrory, M McCrory, C Quinn; S Tierney, P Harte (0-1), D Harte , Cormac McGinley, E McGinley; Ciaran McGinley (0-1), T Canavan (0-3) , P Quinn, D Canavan (0-3), B Horisk , R McRory (0-2) Subs- J Kelly for P Quinn

[TwoUpTwoDown]

Petey wasn't a major player at any stage.  He took some knocks which were not cynical and one staved finger when he tackled a man running at him.  The hand injury was his major problem as he couldn't handle the ball even if he managed to get to it.  Once again he was played out of position and wasted the opportunity to play him at 11.

Oisin wasn't MoTM, I think was chosen by the commentary team and whoever was with the commentator was hugely annoying even in Irish and I couldn't understand a word.  The 'pundit' is supposed to add to the commentary not dominate it.  Felt that Stephen Kernan was MoTM because he played in the most decisive balls to the forward line in particular the ball to J Clarke on two occasions leading to goals or near goal chances were brilliant.

Two many main men for Errigal went awol and man for man Errigal was greatly inferior to Cross particularly on the bench where they had no one to make an impact.

errigal also made the mistake of doubling up on Clarke. He'll be some miss for Armagh.

Don't think I agree that Clarke was double marked. Actually thought Mc Crory done as good a job on Clarke as could have been done. Clarke is a special talent. Think any chance Errigal had went out the window when Harte broke his hand at the start of second half. On a whole Cross had too much strength and depth to cope with the Errigal challenge. Think Crossmaglen will have too much in the tank for Kilcoo the next day also.

[bennydorano]

Strength in depth? They threw on a load of inexperienced young fellas (mcname aside). Cross are a GAA Kasier  Sose!

[LeoMc]

Anybody predicting anything other than a Cross win this weekend?

[Cold tea]

Paddy Powers has Cross at 2/9 and Kilcoo at 4-1 - would seem fair enough.

[trasna man]

Date: Saturday 1st Dec 2012
Ulster Club Junior Football Championship 2012 Final 6 00 PM Páirc Esler, Newry Brackaville Owen Roes  --- v  An Port Mór  --- Ciaran Branagan Date: Sunday 2nd Dec 2012
Ulster Club Intermediate Football Championship 2012 Final 1 15 PM Athletic Grounds Cookstown Fr Rocks  --- v  Warrenpoint  --- TBC
Ulster Club Senior Football Championship 2012 Final 3 00 PM Athletic Grounds Crossmaglen  --- v  Kilcoo  --- Joe Mc Quillan

[rodney trotter]

Bit of a rift in the Cross camp.. http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/cross-to-review-dropped-finnegans-future-in-squad-3308057.html

[Cold tea]

Hardly something that has just appeared - this issue has been there for a while.  Didn't detract from any Ulster match - will hardly detract from the final.

[rodney trotter]

Yeah but it was never really mentioned till now, shouldn't have any bearing. as should be too strong on Sunday. Managed to get this far without him. Still it show's the quality when he is on the Armagh panel, and not really missed..

[onefaircounty]

Yeah but it was never really mentioned till now, shouldn't have any bearing. as should be too strong on Sunday. Managed to get this far without him. Still it show's the quality when he is on the Armagh panel, and not really missed..

Yes it has. It was in one of the papers a few weeks ago.