Ulster Club Football Finals Round-Up

There were wins for Crossmaglen, Loughinisland and Rockcorry today in the AIB Ulster Club Football Championship Finals.

AIB Ulster Club Senior Football Championship Final:
Crossmaglen (Ard Mhacha) 2-17 Scotstown (Muineachán) 2-12 (AET)

Crossmaglen were pushed all the way, but raised their game in extra time to secure an 11th AIB Ulster SFC title in the Athletic Grounds on Sunday.

The South Armagh giants outscored Scotstown by 1-7 to 1-2 in the additional 20 minutes, which also featured three of the game’s four dismissals. The sides were level seven times in normal time and Scotstown goalkeeper Rory Beggan missed a chance to snatch victory with an injury-time free at the end of normal time, and the sides finished level at 1-10 apiece.

After playing poorly in the second half and going down to 14 men following Danny O’Callaghan’s straight red card five minutes from the end, Cross found another gear in extra time. There were two big moments in extra time, first the straight red card for Kieran Hughes while the sides were level at 1-11 apiece was a costly blow for the Monaghan champions.

Cross took over with two Tony Kernan frees putting them 1-13 to 1-11 ahead at the break. Then the second decisive moment came in the second period of extra time when Jamie Clarke, introduced after 40 minutes, superbly picked out the unmarked Kyle Carragher for the match-winning goal in the 74th minute.

Cross stretched their lead out to six before Scotstown sub Brian McGinnity grabbed a late consolation goal. There was still time for one more twist, Darren Hughes getting a straight red card and his marker James Morgan also going off for a second yellow.

The sides made little of the stormy conditions to serve up a great contest, with Cross emerging to win their 36th final out of 37 Armagh, Ulster and All-Ireland finals in a golden two decades for the club. Scotstown, back in an Ulster final for the first time since 1989, started brightly with Monaghan goalkeeper Rory Beggan stroking over a ’45’ in the third minute.

Crossmaglen levelled through Michael McNamee and within a minute, Stephen Kernan pointed from a difficult angle. Darren Hughes then grabbed his fourth goal in three Ulster club championship games.

Donal Morgan’s long ball in was misjudged by James Morgan, who allowed it to bounce over his head, and Hughes grabbed possession and stuck the ball into the net. Crossmaglen responded well and were level by the 22nd minute before Tony Kernan pounced with 1-1 just before half time.

Kieran Hughes gifted possession to Martin Aherne and Cross broke at pace, McNamee picking out Kernan whose composed low finish crept inside the far post to put the six-time All-Ireland champions 1-6 to 1-3 ahead at the interval.

The loss of midfielder Johnny Hanratty to injury at the break was a huge blow to Cross and Paul Hearty’s kickouts suffered as a result.

Scotstown were the better side in the second half with James Turley and Shane Carey influential, the latter kicking 0-4 after the break, three from frees. A Carey brace and Donal Morgan’s point brought Scotstown to within a point, trailing 1-7 to 1-6, early in the second half.

Johnny Murtagh’s shot was pushed over the crossbar but Scotstown refused to go quietly and drew level with points from Emmet Caulfield and Conor McCarthy. Substitute Danny O’Callaghan almost blew it for Cross when he received a straight red card for striking Turley off-the-ball in the 55th minute – just four minutes after coming on.

Tony Kernan twice nudged Cross ahead with free-kicks in the closing stages, but twice Scotstown drew level through Carey frees. Rory Beggan had a long-range free to snatch it for Scotstown deep into stoppage time but it dropped short and Stephen Kernan bravely cleared the danger.

Shane Carey’s free at the start of extra time put Scotstown ahead for the first time since the 19th minute. But Cross, back up to fifteen players for extra time, took over with three unanswered points from Callum Cumiskey and Tony Kernan’s two frees to lead 1-13 to 1-11 at half time in extra time.

Scotstown’s challenge faded after Kieran Hughes’ sending-off. Jamie Clarke came more into the game, winning a vital free which Kernan converted and when Rory Beggan hit a bad kickout in the second half of extra time, Clarke spotted Kyle Carragher who fisted the ball into an empty net to make it 30 wins from 30 Armagh and Ulster finals for Cross in the last 20 years.

They will play Connacht champions Castlebar Mitchells in the All-Ireland semi-final on February 13.

Scorers for Crossmaglen Rangers: T Kernan 1-6 (4f), J Murtagh 0-3, K Carragher 1-2, S Kernan 0-1, M McNamee 0-1, C Cumiskey 0-1, D McKenna 0-1, P Stuttard 0-1, A Kernan 0-1 (1f)

Scorers for Scotstown: S Carey 0-6 (5f), D Hughes 1-0, B McGinnity 1-0, C McCarthy 0-2 (1f), D Morgan 0-1, O Heaphey 0-1, E Caulfield 0-1, R Beggan 0-1 (1 ’45’)

Crossmaglen: P Hearty; P Hughes, A Rushe, P McKeown; A Kernan, M Aherne, J Morgan; J Hanratty, R Kelly; M McNamee, S Kernan, T Kernan; O O’Neill, J Murtagh, K Carragher. Subs: D McKenna for Hanratty (HT), S Finnegan for Rushe (35), J Clarke for O’Neill (40), C Cumiskey for Kelly (45), D O’Callaghan for Aherne (51), A Cunningham for McNamee (54), G Carragher for O’Callaghan (61), P Stuttard for Cunningham (61), K Brennan for Murtagh (71) D McConville for S Kernan (75), A Cunningham for K Carragher (76).

Scotstown: R Beggan; D McArdle, E Caulfield, P Keenan; M Duffy, K Hughes, F McPhillips; F Caulfield, J Turley; O Heaphey, D Morgan, C McCarthy; S Carey, D Hughes, R McKenna. Subs: B Boylan for McPhillips (30), D McCague for McKenna (44), B McGinnity for Heaphy (49), D McCrudden for Duffy (70), B McMeel for E Caulfield (76), D McNally for McArdle (79).

Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)

Report: Orla Bannon / GAA.ie

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AIB Ulster Club Intermediate Football Championship Final:
Loughinisland (An Dún) 4-1 Bundoran (Dún na nGall) 0-7

Loughinisland proved the old mantra of ‘goals win games’ as they edged out Bundoran at Owenbeg to win a historic Ulster Club Intermediate Final.

The Down champions got a dream start with a goal from Seamus O’Hare in the opening minutes, but Bundoran responded well to leave the sides level at the break, 1-1 to 0-4.

Following Rory Mason’s point in the 9th minute for Loughinisland, incredibly they would fail to score for another 41 minutes, but crucially they managed to raise the green flag three more times in the final 10 minutes, via goals from Paddy McKenny, Mason and Sean Cochrane, to secure the victory.

Loughinisland: K Gordon; P Digney, P Megoran, R Nixon; D McLaughlin, J Flynn, J McCarthy; D O’Toole, D Gordon; R Mason, C Killen, P McKenny; A McClements, C Megoran, C O’Toole
Subs: C Turley, M Brannigan, M Cochrane, S Cochrane, R Deegan, M Doran, H Dornan, G Johnston, P Martin, S Mason, D McClements, S O’Hare, C O’Reilly, E Orr, R Stranney

Bundoran: J Keenan; D McCaughey, J Keaney, P Rooney; P Brennan, S McGowan, J Boyle; C McCaughey, P McGonigle; D Spratt, G Clancy, J Brennan; T Hourihane, C Keaney, D Hoey
Subs: N Dunne, P Delaney, A Russell, S Moohan, B McGowan, D Branley, N Carr, G Croghan, F McKiernan, S Carr, T Govorov, A Mullarkey, C Carty, A Brennan, R Walsh

Referee: M McNally (Monaghan)

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AIB Ulster Club Junior Football Championship Final:
Rockcorry (Muineachán) 3-10 Faughanvale (Doire) 0-9

Rockcorry have became the fifth Monaghan club to etch their name on to the Paul Kerr memorial Cup, following an outstanding display at the Athletic Grounds.

Played in a difficult swirling wind, which benefitted neither team greatly, Rockcorry were the stronger side for most of the game.

A first half goal from Mark McGuirk, and second half majors from Fergal McGeough and Martin Carroll, were the crucial scores for the Monaghan champions, but they also have their ‘keeper Jamie Clarke to thank, following three point blank saves in the first half.

Rockcorry: J Smith; C Quinn, J Reilly, N McKeown; S Mc Guirk (0-1), K Daly, C McGeough; M Thornton, M Daly (0-1); C Sheridan, D McGeough (1-4, 0-1 free), P McKeown (0-1); M McGuirk (1-1, 0-1 free), N Carroll, L Smyth (0-1).
Subs: M Carroll (1-0), for Sheridan (52), A Tate (0-1 free) for S Mc Guirk (58), A McGorman for Smyth (60)

Faughanvale: D Moore; D McGuinness, M Sweeney (0-1), G Fahey; J Curran (0-1), S King, A Cassidy; O McKinney, R King; E McElhinney, J Gray (0-3, 0-2 frees); M McGuinness (0-2); K Martin (0-1), C O’Hara, E Murray (0-1 free)

Referee: S Laverty (Antrim)

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For the complete list of Ulster Club Championship results, view www.ulster.gaa.ie/ulsterclub2015