St. Brigid's vs. Crossmaglen Rangers - All-Ireland Senior Club Semi-final 2013

[INDIANA]

Cross have been beaten by Vincents and  Kilmacud Crokes in recent years. They are not invincible. Brigids have a lot of very good footballers and Cross haven't really been tested yet in my estimation. Here's me thinking they have an Ulster Final to play as well!!

Stretching the definition of recent there. The Vincents game was five years ago, ffs. At least half of that Cross team has been replaced.

I do think that Cross-Vincent's game from February 2008 would be a good template for other teams on how to beat Cross. Admittedly, some of that team has been replaced but their style of football has not changed massively over the years

Have to play them at their own game. Which is catch and kick and just go toe to toe. You won't beat them with a slow build up from the back. They'll have too many players back.

The other thing as well is you have to get ahead of them. Brigids match up very well to them and it should be a very good and close game.

[catchandkick]

Not sure. Vincent's played a very fast game and led from start to finish I think. Cross seemed to struggle to handle some speedsters in the Vincent's forward line. Crokes would have some similar operators - Looney is in the form of his life.

[Syferus]

Senan K terrorised the Cross full-back line in the 2011 and he wasn't provided Hal enough of the ball he should have been by Brigids. I'd imagine Cross will be very hung ho about stopping him this time around but he's in far better form this year and the rest of the Brigids team outside Senan and Frankie have become far more comfortable and able to take their point; you can't simply nix one key player and call it a day now.

I can see some fantastic match-ups between both forward and back lines in this game. Both teams are very confident and I don't expect either to set up to play negatively, at least to the degree you can be positive and wily at the same time.

[naka]

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And cross are a rival club to me, if they are beat next sunday I wouldn't care damn all, i don't go and support them, but i'd still rather see them win it than most other clubs, and at this stage I would say they will win it. But of course, every god has it's day and it can't go on forever.
[/quote]
credit to cross they seem to eek out wins and are greater than the sum of their parts, i really thought  maghery cruppen or the ogs would get them in Armagh but they didnt and since then have gone from strength to strength, as a south armagh man i have no love for them but i respect them for what tehy have achieved on the field of play

[armaghniac]

Not sure. Vincent's played a very fast game and led from start to finish I think. Cross seemed to struggle to handle some speedsters in the Vincent's forward line

The younger players in Cross now might well be better able for speed, e.g. Paul Hughes is not Francie Bellew or John Donaldson.

[INDIANA]

Not sure. Vincent's played a very fast game and led from start to finish I think. Cross seemed to struggle to handle some speedsters in the Vincent's forward line. Crokes would have some similar operators - Looney is in the form of his life.

would say they struggled badly with pat gilroy at full forward. and we dominated midfield.

I dunno who the full back was yesterday but he's looks a hell of a player

[yellowcard]

Not sure. Vincent's played a very fast game and led from start to finish I think. Cross seemed to struggle to handle some speedsters in the Vincent's forward line. Crokes would have some similar operators - Looney is in the form of his life.

would say they struggled badly with pat gilroy at full forward. and we dominated midfield.

I dunno who the full back was yesterday but he's looks a hell of a player

Paul Kernan was full back and he is a solid player but he has ongoing issues with a dislocated shoulder which may rule him out of the AI semi final. He did have his hands full with Kilbride 2 years ago but Cross will need him fit for this game because they have a fairly small defence.

[ross4life]

Saturday 16th Feb 2pm in Mullingar (Same venue as the 2007 AI semi-final between the two)

[Syferus]

Saturday 16th Feb 2pm in Mullingar (Same venue as the 2007 AI semi-final between the two)

Jaysis the Gods are favouring Brigids with these 'neutral venues' with Cross! Kiltoom/Cam will be empty and so will half of Roscommon with it being so close by.

[Milltown Row2]

Saturday 16th Feb 2pm in Mullingar (Same venue as the 2007 AI semi-final between the two)

Jaysis the Gods are favouring Brigids with these 'neutral venues' with Cross! Kiltoom/Cam will be empty and so will half of Roscommon with it being so close by.

They'll need more than the gods help in this game!!

[ross4life]

Saturday 16th Feb 2pm in Mullingar (Same venue as the 2007 AI semi-final between the two)

Jaysis the Gods are favouring Brigids with these 'neutral venues' with Cross! Kiltoom/Cam will be empty and so will half of Roscommon with it being so close by.

They'll need more than the gods help in this game!!

Brigids have decent chance of a upset here they didn't fear Crossmaglen in 2007,2011 & they won't fear them next Feb. All the pressure is on Cross as they go for three in row the idle chat (like above) can sometimes bring down a team.

Brigids have more than proved their worth over the years sadly for some Brigids have beat one of the best ever club sides to earn that respect...

[Milltown Row2]

Saturday 16th Feb 2pm in Mullingar (Same venue as the 2007 AI semi-final between the two)

Jaysis the Gods are favouring Brigids with these 'neutral venues' with Cross! Kiltoom/Cam will be empty and so will half of Roscommon with it being so close by.

They'll need more than the gods help in this game!!

Brigids have decent chance of a upset here they didn't fear Crossmaglen in 2007,2011 & they won't fear them next Feb. All the pressure is on Cross as they go for three in row the idle chat (like above) can sometimes bring down a team.

Brigids have more than proved their worth over the years sadly for some Brigids have beat one of the best ever club sides to earn that respect...

They won't fear them that's a given, and had they have got their act together earlier in 2011 they could have beaten them, but this is the difference between being a good team and a brilliant team. I'd say the only time to beat Cross (I know the Dublin teams have beaten them) is in the early stages of the Armagh Championship if they were paired with one of the better teams in Armagh.

The year we got to the final and got beat by Salthill we drew Cargin in the first round at Casement, Cargin ran out 3/4 point winners, we were flat on our feet and didn't have the drive. Cargin trained hard leading up to that game, paid no attention to the league, meetings which isn't like them and concentrated on beating us. Point is this, once Cross get up and running it will take an exceptional team to win and they usually go on and win the All Ireland (except Errigal  )

[Syferus]

Brigids are an exceptional team, though. They'll have been targetting a likely AI semi-final with Cross ever Seinfeld the evening Garrycastle upset them and set back that meeting. I really believe man-for-man and coach-for-coach Brigids are Cross' equals now. The fact Brigids are completely consumed by finally winning the big one only makes it an even more interesting tie.

Give this game a fine day and I don't see how it will fail to be entraling.

[Orchardman]

Saturday 16th Feb 2pm in Mullingar (Same venue as the 2007 AI semi-final between the two)

Jaysis the Gods are favouring Brigids with these 'neutral venues' with Cross! Kiltoom/Cam will be empty and so will half of Roscommon with it being so close by.

They'll need more than the gods help in this game!!

Brigids have decent chance of a upset here they didn't fear Crossmaglen in 2007,2011 & they won't fear them next Feb. All the pressure is on Cross as they go for three in row the idle chat (like above) can sometimes bring down a team.

Brigids have more than proved their worth over the years sadly for some Brigids have beat one of the best ever club sides to earn that respect...

most teams in armagh don't fear them either, (from my own experience anyway) there's nothing scary about them except they are usually the better team on the day. But cross will likley win this one, is there any reason why st brigids would be favourites for this instead?

[Jinxy]

Most teams in Armagh are useless.
Cross don't prepare for the Armagh championship, they prepare for the provincial championship.
That's a huge advantage to have over the other county champions.