Brilliant Crossmaglen retain title

AIB GAA Football Senior Club Championship Final:
Crossmaglen 2-19 Garrycastle 1-7

Crossmaglen produced a magnificent display at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday to hammer Garrycastle by 15 points and retain the AIB GAA Football Senior Club Championship.

Having played out a thrilling draw in Croke Park on St. Patrick’s Day, a tight game was expected once again but Crossmaglen ruthlessly made the Westmeath champions rue letting a five-point lead slip two weeks ago.

It’s the Armagh champions’ sixth All-Ireland title since 1997, with Oisín McConville and Paul Hearty becoming the first men in the history of the competition to win six medals, having been there since the beginning of Crossmaglen’s run of success.

McConville hit 0-6 in the win in a classy display and he was given a rapturous reception when he was substituted in the closing stages.

The result was never in doubt as Crossmaglen ran the show from the beginning, and they finished with a remarkable tally of 2-19 thanks to a brilliant display of finishing from players throughout the team.

They overwhelmed Garrycastle with a stunning first-half display, anchored by two goals from full forward Francis Hanratty, and they went in 10 points ahead at half-time.

Shortly after Dessie Dolan had opened Garrycastle’s account with a free, Hanratty won the ball in the air about 45 metres from goal, and turned and kicked out to Jamie Clarke on his right. Clarke showed brilliant vision to play the ball perfectly back to Hanratty, who was still racing towards goal and who was able to finish calmly past Cathal Mullin.

Dessie Dolan was the only forward who was performing for Garrycastle and he kept them in touch with a couple of points to leave it 1-3 to 0-3 midway through the first half. This was when Crossmaglen plundered the crucial second goal though, and once again it was Hanratty who put it away after Aaron Kernan passed to the forward to leave him with a simple finish.

That set off a run of Crossmaglen points with Aaron Cunningham, Johnny Hanratty and Oisín McConville (0-2) all getting on the scoreboard to leave it 2-7 to 0-3 towards the end of the first half.

David O’Shaughnessy and McConville traded frees just before the whistle to leave the Ulster champions ten clear at the break, and absolutely deserving of their lead.

Garrycastle briefly threatened a comeback when Gary Dolan goaled at the start of the second-half but Crossmaglen quickly brought them back to earth with another run of brilliantly taken points.

Captain Stephen Kernan and his brother Aaron hit over scores to make it 2-10 to 1-6 after 40 minutes, and that was as close as it would get as Crossmaglen hit a further 0-9 in an imperious final 20 minutes.

The quality of their scoring was almost beyond belief as Aaron and Stephen Kernan in particular shone in the final third of the game, racing up the field time and time again to clip over points effortlessly.

Garrycastle were not able to muster any kind of a comeback as Crossmaglen easily cruised to the final whistle, finishing with their remarkable tally and recording a monumental win.

Crossmaglen: P Hearty, J Morgan, P Kernan, P McKeown, A Kernan (0-4, 0-1f), D O’Callaghan, S Finnegan, J Hanratty (0-1), D McKenna, T Kernan (0-1), S Kernan (0-3), A Cunningham (0-2), J Clarke (0-1), F Hanratty (2-1), O McConville (0-6, 0-3f).

Subs: M McNamee for F Hanratty (41), M Aherne for T Kernan (41), K Carragher (0-1) for A Cunningham (50), G Carragher for P Kernan (52), K Brennan for O McConville (57).

Garrycastle: C Mullin, M McCallon, J Gaffey, T McHugh, K Henson, D Harte, E Mulvihill, S O’Donoghue, D O’Shaughnessy (0-1, 0-1f), P Dillon, D Dolan (0-3, 0-1f), J Dolan, G Dolan (1-0), P Mulvihill, J Duignan.

Subs: C Cosgrove (0-3, 0-3f) for K Henson (HT), J O’Shaughnessy for E Mulvihill (50).

Referee: Martin Duffy (Sligo).