Crossmaglen Rangers v Kilmacud Crokes

[stew]

For a team that is considered one of the best ever at club level I am absolutely shocked by the ineptitude that cross showed in various sectors today. MF was destroyed from the throw in on and Cross did precious little to shore up that sector. The forwards squandered a ton of chances and looked like they hadnt taken a shot since the semi final thye were that bad.

Fair play to the crokes, they deserved to win in the end.

That was a desperate game to watch altogether, puke football at it's worst.

I am not that high on some of the new rules and that but I am fast becoming a believer after watching that shite.

I am disappointed for ye BC. Cross are still the greatest club football side of all time............... at least to me.

[tonesfirstandlast]

Cross can certainly have no complaints there, best team won on the day. Cross have enjoyed the rub of the green numerous times over the years but they didn't have much luck today.  They were cleaned out in Mf and if anyone cared to look back the Armagh Club thread it was continually mentioned that Cross are very ordinary in that sector.

The Cross new breed didn't contribute today at all, and not enough of their old hands did either (Oisin & Francie were superb IMO).  If their experienced players retired en-masse Cross would be a very very ordinary side.

#

FFS. They were both useless. Bellew was destoyed. What did Oisin do? Aaron Kernan was the only one who came near the standard and he was just ordinary.

[Orior]

I thought Francie did tremendous. He let his man go in the first 5 mins (as is his custom) but tightened up after that.

Oisin missed more than his usual. Cross seemed to have trouble finding space. Well done to Kilacud for their research and hard work

[mylestheslasher]

Could not believe how poor Cross were. They gave so many stupid frees away in front of their posts for silly pushes into the back. For an experienced to be beaten by silly frees is astounding.  Some of the cross lads didn't winter too well. McConville, Hearty and McEntee all looked to be carrying a few extra pounds! Fair play to Crokes. A fresher pacier team and fully deserevd their win.

[Declan]

Beautiful day in Croker but poor enough entertainment. Crokes were much the better team and well deserved their win but how Vaughan is allowed take every free from 50 metres out is a joke. Much pacier than Cross who look as if the hard years caught up on them. Impressed with Darren Magee but he wasn't up against much and thought Griff did well at CHB. Pat Burke put in some amount of work and I can't remember him losing one ball that was played up to him. Vaughan was Vaughan mixed the downright awful with one sublime point in the second half. Anyway hope all the folks out in Stillorgan enjoy themselves tonight well done.

[thewobbler]

It really was a horrible advertisement for club football. The cynical undercurrent of both teams was allowed to bubble away at the surface thanks to the wonderfully inept Mr Kinneavey. Much as I despise referees who wave black books around with gay abandon, even those are preferable to today's refereeing style, where the worst thing about football - the systematic fouling of players to disrupt moves before the gather pace - went unpunished throughout.

Cross were beaten at an even more scientific, refined and ugly version of their own game today.

Crokes never once had more than four players in the opposing half. With two banks of five defenders, one positioned around their 21 to cut out any long deliveries, the other positioned between their 45 and the halfway line to chop attacks off at source, meant Cross had nowhere to go. It worked a treat. The sheer aimlessness of Cross's attacks was as vivid as it was surprising. Their normal gameplan was disrupted and they had no plan B - but what plan B can anyone really have against such a huge amount of defenders?

Letting in that early goal was crucial. Once that went in, Cross had no way to tempt Croke's half-backs and half-forwards out the field.   

All credit to Crokes and their management team for creating a plan and executing it perfectly. I never thought I'd ever see a team that could take Cross on in this regard, but this they did, and with some distinction.

I just hope this isn't the future of football.

[crossfire]

Congratulations to Crokes, they were much the better team today.
Enjoy the celebrations

[INDIANA]

I thought Francie did tremendous. He let his man go in the first 5 mins (as is his custom) but tightened up after that.

Oisin missed more than his usual. Cross seemed to have trouble finding space. Well done to Kilacud for their research and hard work

Francie was 10 yards behind all day and the first goal was his responsibility. They've soldiereed for so long- the legs haven't got it anymore. Crokes beat Cross at their own game-I'm glad when we played them we just outplayed them. Still Cross can rebuild- they've plenty of young players- but I'm not sure they are in the class of Mc Conville and Co.

[under the bar]

Sadly it looks like the end of the road for a once excellent Crossmaglen team made to look like ordinary joes by a younger Crokes side.  The old talismen like McEntee, Bellew & McConville looked as if they just had way too many miles on the clock today, with the young blood coming through just not up to the job and without Oisin's still accurate free taking it would have been an annihilation.   

Crokes didn't exactly look like world beater either mind you without even a left footed free taker to be found but the best team won no doubt.

[Canalman]

Congratulations to Crokes, a well deserved victory from what I saw on the highlights.
My hunch (see earlier posts) that CR were a jaded team was proven right and their form against Vins in last year's AISF was their real current worth. I will give myself a Fearonesque pat on the back by pointing out that I correctly forecasted the result.

CR were there for the taking after their semi final and I had a hunch that this "Cross never lose Finals" mentality would result in sloppiness. Vaughan on tv also pointed out (correctly imo) that KC had the advantage in knowing all about CR whereas CR may not have known Crokes to the same extent.

A great fillip for Dublin football after last weekend's troubles.I suspect also that some Armagh club teams may smell blood and administer the coup de grace to CR later this Summer.

[Rossfan]

I suspect the rest of the clubs in Armagh might be getting a little optimism going that at long bloody last one of them might win the County Title.

[Yes I Would]

Enjoyed todays game.. Very impressed by Crokes workrate, tackling, hunger and general ability to run Cross ragged..
Cross looked flat and a mere shadow of the team that took Ballinderry so comfortably in the replayed Ulster final. In saying that they had chances to resuce the game but shot selection and execution let them down time and time again..  

Cant see there being too many hasty decisions regarding retirement with them all soldiering on for another crack at it..

[mackers]

Better team won, Cross can have no complaints. Can't remember Cross playing so poorly, the twins, Donaldson, and to a lesser extent Francie all suffered in the wide open spaces of Croker. you need pace there and Cross didn't have enough of it. Thought Paul and Tony Kernan played well with Aaron trying hard also. I had said that Cross's weak spot was midfield prior to the game and that, unfortunately, came to roost. David McKenna who had been playing well, didn't go well today at all.

[Radioulster]

Was a very un crossmaglen like performance today. They had too many players trying to go it alone right from the start with young McNamee. kilmacud did very well and kept John Mc quiet, he is the key to Cross imo.  Brought in a lot of light substitutes would have to agree that these lads don't look to have the same stuff. Still would'nt bet against them for Ulster next year.

[Yes I Would]

I suspect the rest of the clubs in Armagh might be getting a little optimism going that at long bloody last one of them might win the County Title.

Cant see it.. They will still take Armagh in 2nd or 3rd gear this year..