Ulster club senior football championship - 2015

[bennydorano]

To be honest I wouldn't read too much into Crossmaglen's win over Harps, it was a collapse of epic proportions on our part and we made them look so much better than I think they really are. It seems a ludicrous thing to say after their superiority  over us in MF on Sunday, but i'd say you'll not see 2 primary Midfielders in worse condition than Mckenna and to a lesser extent Hanratty in the AI club series. We also made Rico Kelly look like an Allstar in FF, that wont happen again.

[armaghniac]

To be honest I wouldn't read too much into Crossmaglen's win over Harps, it was a collapse of epic proportions on our part and we made them look so much better than I think they really are. It seems a ludicrous thing to say after their superiority  over us in MF on Sunday, but i'd say you'll not see 2 primary Midfielders in worse condition than Mckenna and to a lesser extent Hanratty in the AI club series. We also made Rico Kelly look like an Allstar in FF, that wont happen again.

I doubt that anyone sees the Armagh final win as anything other than a mostly competent performance, but with flaws, against a team that just wasn't up for it. Cross will be well aware that after a similar victory last year, when Harps played much better, they were flat and came a cropper against Omagh and they know right well that the forwards will not be given as much space against the likes of Kilcoo. However, they've had longer periods of good play in each successive game and this is going in the right direction.

[general_lee]

To be honest I wouldn't read too much into Crossmaglen's win over Harps, it was a collapse of epic proportions on our part and we made them look so much better than I think they really are. It seems a ludicrous thing to say after their superiority  over us in MF on Sunday, but i'd say you'll not see 2 primary Midfielders in worse condition than Mckenna and to a lesser extent Hanratty in the AI club series. We also made Rico Kelly look like an Allstar in FF, that wont happen again.

I doubt that anyone sees the Armagh final win as anything other than a mostly competent performance, but with flaws, against a team that just wasn't up for it. Cross will be well aware that after a similar victory last year, when Harps played much better, they were flat and came a cropper against Omagh and they know right well that the forwards will not be given as much space against the likes of Kilcoo. However, they've had longer periods of good play in each successive game and this is going in the right direction.

Cross? flat against Omagh in the Ulster championship? Cross are NEVER flat in Ulster they just got beat by a better team on the day. Like bennydorano says Harps made them look a lot better than they are (though I'm really starting to doubt all the hype about the Harps) and they won't get that much space against Cargin* never mind Kilcoo. On experience alone cross have to be one of the favs for Ulster and no team will want to meet them

[illdecide]

If i remember rightly had Cross not two men sent of against Omagh last year? Not to mention a sick Aaron Kernan. I'd say that was a major bearing on the result...(Callum Cumiskey and Tony Kernan)

[illdecide]

Omagh (Tyrone) 2-08 Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh) 1-09
Omagh created a major upset with a 2-08 to 1-09 Ulster Club SFC victory over Crossmaglen at Healy Park.
Ronan O'Neill hit an early goal, but Crossmaglen strode ahead with scores from Jamie Clarke and Tony Kernan, before Padraig Stuttard netted to give them a 1-08 to 1-02 interval lead.
Cross finished with 13 men after Callum Cumiskey and Tony Kernan were sent off, before a Barry Tierney goal secured the win for the Tyrone champions.
Crossmaglen led by seven points at one stage but they were unable to hold out in the face of the late Omagh surge.
The Armagh side have not encountered a serious test in the county championship and were robbed of key man Aaron Kernan due to a vomiting bug that affected the camp, and they got off to a flying start with points from Jamie Clarke, Tony Kernan and Kyle Brennan.
But Omagh struck for a seventh-minute goal, Ronan O'Neill sprinting past marker James Morgan to plant the ball past Paul Hearty.
Wind-assisted Cross, however, were bossing the midfield area, with Johnny Hanratty and Rico Kelly getting the better of Joe McMahon and Conan Grugan.
And their support play and kick passing were of the highest order, in contrast to Omagh's tendency to concede possession cheaply.
Kernan's third converted free made it 0-07 to 1-01 after 17 minutes, and they were denied a goal by Ryan Clarke's superb save from Johnny Murtagh.
Omagh had a goal chance as well, but Conor O'Donnell was unable to stretch for Barry Tierney's cross to the far post.
The Armagh men did get the goal they had threatened in the 29th minute, corner back Stephen Finnegan making ground to set up Padraig Stuttard, and he smashed the ball past Clarke.
Crossmaglen led by 1-08 to 1-02 at the break, but managed just one point in the second half as their challenge fell apart with the dismissals of Callum Cumiskey (yellow/black) and Tony Kernan (straight red).
Omagh had narrowed back the deficit with scores from O'Neill and O'Donnell, with Conan Grugan landing a long-rage effort to leave just a point between the sides.
It was Grugan, along with Joe McMahon, swung the midfield battle in the home side's favour, and he hit the target again to bring Omagh level with five minutes to play.
Crossmaglen had just 13 men on the field by this stage, and they were unable to stem the waves of white shirts that swept towards them. And two late Ronan O'Neill points sealed it for the St Enda's.
Omagh: R Clarke, H Gallagher, Justin McMahon, S Mullan, C McLaughlin, B Tierney (1-00), C McMahon, Joe McMahon, C Grugan (0-02, 2f), A Grugan, J McAnulla (0-01), C McCarron, C O'Donnell (0-01), R O'Neill (1-04 (0-1f), C Meyler.
Subs: C O'Neill for McCarron (h-t), J Colton for C McMahon ((56), D Kerr for McLaughlin  (60).
Crossmaglen: P Hearty, S Finnegan, J Morgan, P Hughes, P Stuttard (1-00), P McKeown, M Aherne (0-01), J Hanratty, R Kelly, T Kernan (0-03, 3f), J Clarke (0-02, 1f)), M McNamee, K Carragher, C Cumiskey, K Brennan (0-02).
Subs: J Murtagh (0-01) for Carragher (5), D McKenna for Brennan (43), A Kernan for Finnegan (48), A Cunningham for Hanratty (59).
Referee: C Branagan (Down).

[JoG2]

If i remember rightly had Cross not two men sent of against Omagh last year? Not to mention a sick Aaron Kernan. I'd say that was a major bearing on the result...(Callum Cumiskey and Tony Kernan)

Indeed, with A Kernan crook, Cross surprisingly reacted to the constant sledging as the stars aligned for Omagh . Slaughtneil took heed and the rest is history.

[redhandefender]

If i remember rightly had Cross not two men sent of against Omagh last year? Not to mention a sick Aaron Kernan. I'd say that was a major bearing on the result...(Callum Cumiskey and Tony Kernan)

Indeed, with A Kernan crook, Cross surprisingly reacted to the constant sledging as the stars aligned for Omagh . Slaughtneil took heed and the rest is history.

God its October and some numpty has started chatting about sledging already!

[JoG2]

If i remember rightly had Cross not two men sent of against Omagh last year? Not to mention a sick Aaron Kernan. I'd say that was a major bearing on the result...(Callum Cumiskey and Tony Kernan)

Indeed, with A Kernan crook, Cross surprisingly reacted to the constant sledging as the stars aligned for Omagh . Slaughtneil took heed and the rest is history.

God its October and some numpty has started chatting about sledging already!

has football finished for the year?

[SaffronHeart]

Bookies putting Cross odds on because of a facile Armagh win. I'm liking kilcoo at 11/2. Slaughtneil surely couldnt go back to back especially with the hurling? It Would be a serious achievement

[ONeill]

Nothing Slaughtneil achieve would surprise me. Their drive for success on all fronts is bordering on lunacy. Brilliant club.

[Schkite]

Monaghan final between Scotstown and Monaghan Harps on TG4 today I see. Bit of a surprise in Harps making it there, but fully deserve it after a very good win over Clontibret in the semi. They've been building for a while and will be well up for this of course. But I'd be very surprised if Scotstown didn't win it. After their first win in 20 years in 2013, you could see that same hunger wasn't quite there last year, but I'd fancy them to win it back this year. They're probably the best rounded team in the county and the best equipped to have a crack at Ulster(much as it pains me to admit that!), and should they get through today I do think they'll have a good chance.

Having said that it would be great to see the Harps break through. If they win that'll make it 5 different winners in the last 5 years in the county, which wouldn't have been seen in a long time.

[JoG2]

Slaughtneil  6 points up at h/t

[PearseM55]

Slaughtneil finish with a 19 point win. Have to be serious contenders

[JoG2]

Slaughtneil finish with a 19 point win. Have to be serious contenders

4-13 to 1-04. Nothing special ;-) 

[regal]

Slaughtneil finish with a 19 point win. Have to be serious contenders

4-13 to 1-04. Nothing special ;-) 

I'd imagine the score line says more about Fermanagh football than it does about slaughtneil.

A special club perhaps, however, I don't think this s'neill team will frighten the serious contenders for Ulster this year, albeit they are on the easier side of the draw. But time will tell.

I hope you didn't avail of the 9/4 on green lough after today's 10 point defeat.