All Ireland Club SFC Semi-finals Feb 2016

[StGallsGAA]

Will McConville be expected to fall on his sword then?  Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory isn't really acceptable in Cross!

[brokencrossbar1]

CROSSMAGLEN joint-manager John McEntee insisted his side is not ready to fade into the history books, but that they will come back raring to go next season following Saturday's defeat to Castlebar.

McEntee, who manages alongside Oisin McConville, was gracious in defeat, but empathised with the hurt his players were feeling: "I am just gutted for the lads, they put in a huge effort this year, they tried really hard and they did their best," he said.

"On the day, they were pipped to the post and I am genuinely very disappointed for them. They have taken these hits before and gotten back up from them, that is the type of character they are. They will bounce back next year again."

Referee Eddie Kinsella awarded almost twice as many frees to Castlebar than the south Armagh side, but McEntee believed the man in the middle from Laois had a different interpretation of the tackles than the Cross management.

"I don't think too many calls went either way," he said.

"There were certainly too many fouls given and too many within scoreable range. And that was a serious problem. It wasn't our intention to foul, we went out with honesty and endeavour to tackle as best we can and that wasn't the way it was perceived, but sometimes that is the way it goes.

"In the midst of it, tensions run high and emotions run high. It wouldn't be fair to judge the referee, I know that we didn't go out with the intention to foul and we tried our best not to, but unfortunately that is not the way it worked out."

Rangers should have put the game to bed by half-time. Jamie Clarke made light work of shaking off Tom Cunniffe, but rolled his shot narrowly wide of the goal with only five minutes played and, moments before the break, substitute Johnny Murtagh was denied a goal when his shot was cleared off the line. A minute later, Castlebar's Paddy Durkan struck a point, which worryingly gave Cross only a 0-8 to 0-5 lead at half-time, despite their early dominance.

"We gave away a few soft frees and we were probably anxious that we were not more ahead," said McEntee.

"We had our chances and didn't take them and we knew they would get chances. We were in a game for a full half-hour to play. We were fit and strong and ready to go again. We missed those two goal chances and then they got a point, which gave them a bit of momentum going in at half-time.

"That was directly following our second goal chance, so that was a four-point turnaround and that was probably psychologically a big boost for them going in at half-time. But that didn't dampen our spirits going in at the second half, it just raised theirs a wee bit."

The Crossmaglen manager admitted losing the midfield battle in the second-half played a huge part in their downfall, but while being content with not conceding a goal, he rued missed scoring opportunities and praised Castlebar.

"We had two goal chances in the opening half and we missed a couple of frees and we missed a chance at the death to bring the game level and, many a day, we would have scored them," McEntee added.

"We have to take our hats off to them boys [Castlebar], they played well and came back strong at us and did well to win it."

[Applesisapples]

Club football success is all in comparison to how Dublin clubs do. As it stands, historically Dublin clubs have 6 AIs between them. So have we so at least we are level with all the Dublin clubs(albeit probably only for a few weeks till BBSE beat Castlebar out the gate).

BCB I am surprised Cross don't feel more aggrieved with Eddie Kinsella's performance, which from TV viewing was poor and a bit one way traffic, as the free count suggests. Although John Mac did allude to this in the IN without actually pressing the point.

What good will it do?  Refs are dangerous animals and no matter what if you piss one off he will remember it.  The ref made a few dubious decisions but not game changers.  The game changing incidents involved us not taking our chances when we were on top and that is pretty clear.

Wasn't it Kinsella that McConville was very critical of when he was a pundit on the BBC?
Saying that he wasn't able to keep up with the game.

Not sure about Oisin's criticism of Kinsella. I've seen him ref plenty before and he is not good also very inconsistent. But respect to BCB and Cross for being gracious. Why on earth would Oisin resign?

[Crete Boom]

Club football success is all in comparison to how Dublin clubs do. As it stands, historically Dublin clubs have 6 AIs between them. So have we so at least we are level with all the Dublin clubs(albeit probably only for a few weeks till BBSE beat Castlebar out the gate).

Was the level Cross and Castlebar playing at in their semi that much of a drop off from the Ballyboden v Clonmel game that Mitchels will be at sea in the final on Paddy's day?
I only watched the Castlebar v Cross game on tv ( I didn't see the other semi) and it seemed like a very good hard game of football played to a good standard. I know Cross missed a few bad points but I thought Castlebar did well to comeback and hold out for the win or is this Cross team a good bit below the All Ireland winning Cross teams of old?Again not being at the match it is tough to comment of the intensity and standard of the game.

[Applesisapples]

Club football success is all in comparison to how Dublin clubs do. As it stands, historically Dublin clubs have 6 AIs between them. So have we so at least we are level with all the Dublin clubs(albeit probably only for a few weeks till BBSE beat Castlebar out the gate).

Was the level Cross and Castlebar playing at in their semi that much of a drop off from the Ballyboden v Clonmel game that Mitchels will be at sea in the final on Paddy's day?
I only watched the Castlebar v Cross game on tv ( I didn't see the other semi) and it seemed like a very good hard game of football played to a good standard. I know Cross missed a few bad points but I thought Castlebar did well to comeback and hold out for the win or is this Cross team a good bit below the All Ireland winning Cross teams of old?Again not being at the match it is tough to comment of the intensity and standard of the game.

Watching it on TV and aside from the ref, I felt at times Cross didn't get the rub and at others made the wrong choices. I was impressed with young O'Neill as well.

[armaghniac]

Watching it on TV and aside from the ref, I felt at times Cross didn't get the rub and at others made the wrong choices. I was impressed with young O'Neill as well.

Referees make mistakes, these may even net out as unfavourable to you, them's the breaks. The ref may not have kept up with play or may have misinterpreted the flow of the game. But if you lost, it is probably mainly because some of your own players did not keep with play, misinterpreted the flow of the game or made other mistakes and these you should work on for the next time, so that you win regardless of the ref.

[Canalman]

Personally think the aura of Crossmaglen Rangers invinvibility  which imo carried them over the line in some tight games may not be what it was. Don't think clubs are terrified of  them (and are mentally beaten before game) as much anymore which maybe is the difference between winning and losing in tight games. Imo of course.

A great club all the same.

They are round long enough to know that some days you get the refereeing decisions going your way  (AISF some years ago in Navan versus Kilmacud) and days you don't.

[seafoid]

Personally think the aura of Crossmaglen Rangers invinvibility  which imo carried them over the line in some tight games may not be what it was. Don't think clubs are terrified of  them (and are mentally beaten before game) as much anymore which maybe is the difference between winning and losing in tight games. Imo of course.

A great club all the same.

They are round long enough to know that some days you get the refereeing decisions going your way  (AISF some years ago in Navan versus Kilmacud) and days you don't.

MUFC syndrome

[brokencrossbar1]

Personally think the aura of Crossmaglen Rangers invinvibility  which imo carried them over the line in some tight games may not be what it was. Don't think clubs are terrified of  them (and are mentally beaten before game) as much anymore which maybe is the difference between winning and losing in tight games. Imo of course.

A great club all the same.

They are round long enough to know that some days you get the refereeing decisions going your way  (AISF some years ago in Navan versus Kilmacud) and days you don't.

Whatever about teams being like that in Armagh to an extent I would not think that teams in the provincial or AI series would be beaten before the game has started.  We lost an AI semi final by a point to a team who were in the final 2 years ago and have 4-5 seasoned county players.  They only went ahead of us with 7 minutes to go and we would have been out of sight if we had taken our chances in the first half that we created. There's a fair good chance they will win the final. They played very well and got their tactics spot on in the second half but if a few things had been different we would be in the AI final now and people would be eulogizing about us and making us red hot favourites to win it out. 

This group is an evolving one.  There are 7 players who played Saturday played championship with me and I quit playing in 2005.  The young lads coming through had added an extra pep to the step of the older players.  The one thing the young lads have that a few recent additions to the squad don't have is size,  3-4 of them a 6 ft plus and they are all good ball players. Give these lads a season at senior league football and we will know if they have the cajones for the battle.  If they do great,  if they don't well the next group up will have to show their credentials.  I don't know if teams where ever 'terrified' of us but we simply have an extraordinary level of self belief that we will not give up and Saturday once again showed that.  We will be back and we will win our 7th and we will beat Nemo's record but when I'm not sure.

[Il Bomber Destro]

Personally think the aura of Crossmaglen Rangers invinvibility  which imo carried them over the line in some tight games may not be what it was. Don't think clubs are terrified of  them (and are mentally beaten before game) as much anymore which maybe is the difference between winning and losing in tight games. Imo of course.

A great club all the same.

They are round long enough to know that some days you get the refereeing decisions going your way  (AISF some years ago in Navan versus Kilmacud) and days you don't.

Whatever about teams being like that in Armagh to an extent I would not think that teams in the provincial or AI series would be beaten before the game has started.  We lost an AI semi final by a point to a team who were in the final 2 years ago and have 4-5 seasoned county players.  They only went ahead of us with 7 minutes to go and we would have been out of sight if we had taken our chances in the first half that we created. There's a fair good chance they will win the final. They played very well and got their tactics spot on in the second half but if a few things had been different we would be in the AI final now and people would be eulogizing about us and making us red hot favourites to win it out. 

This group is an evolving one.  There are 7 players who played Saturday played championship with me and I quit playing in 2005.  The young lads coming through had added an extra pep to the step of the older players.  The one thing the young lads have that a few recent additions to the squad don't have is size,  3-4 of them a 6 ft plus and they are all good ball players. Give these lads a season at senior league football and we will know if they have the cajones for the battle.  If they do great,  if they don't well the next group up will have to show their credentials.  I don't know if teams where ever 'terrified' of us but we simply have an extraordinary level of self belief that we will not give up and Saturday once again showed that.  We will be back and we will win our 7th and we will beat Nemo's record but when I'm not sure.

Why did it take them so long to introduce McKenna when Moran was lording midfield for the whole of the second half?

[brokencrossbar1]

Not sure exactly what it was but he was carrying an injury of some description.

[muppet]

Fair play BC, as magnanimous in defeat as you were magnificent in victory.

Putting on my Mitchels hat, that was some win. Extremely proud of the effort of the players to hang on in there against a club like Cross and come away with the win.

Paddy Durcan is some man considering he only resumed full training 2 weeks ago after an operation he had after the Connacht Final.

[brokencrossbar1]

Fair play BC, as magnanimous in defeat as you were magnificent in victory.

Putting on my Mitchels hat, that was some win. Extremely proud of the effort of the players to hang on in there against a club like Cross and come away with the win.

Paddy Durcan is some man considering he only resumed full training 2 weeks ago after an operation he had after the Connacht Final.

Congrats Muppet,  I know who I'll be cheering for in the final. To win it Moran will need to give a full hour. He was very easily put off his game in the first half by Hanratty being physical. He got very frustrated and it was only when he and Durcan got a run at us that your boys got into it. He'll need to start the game the way he played the second half. Croke Park is unforgiving on a final day and it can destroy as well as make players.

[Over the Bar]

Any truth in the rumour that the Cross boys were completely fired up at the interval until Oisin started his pep-talk and by the end of it half of them were nearly asleep??

[armaghniac]

Any truth in the rumour that the Cross boys were completely fired up at the interval until Oisin started his pep-talk and by the end of it half of them were nearly asleep??

They say class always shows through, and the same of true of a lack of class.