Crossmaglen 3-9 Pearse Óg 0-11:IF THIS was Crossmaglen at their most vulnerable, then the rest may forget about trying to stop them winning a three-in-a-row of Ulster and All-Ireland club titles.
Injuries and emigration had overshadowed the champions’ progress to yesterday’s final, and, in Pearse Óg, they were facing the only team to have beaten them within Armagh since their incredible run of success began in 1996.
Yet when the questions were asked, Crossmaglen’s championship pedigree came to the surface as they captured their 16th Armagh senior football title in 17 years. Goals in each half from Jamie Clarke, making his first club championship start since the All-Ireland final replay win over Garrycastle, helped them win their 40th county title.
Scoring a goal and a point inside the opening 53 seconds scotched any notion that they were there for the taking in the Morgan Athletic Grounds. Johnny Hanratty scored a long-range point after 16 seconds and Jamie Clarke, who missed the earlier games after a summer stint in America, then hit the net with a near-post shot after a lovely pass from Kyle Carragher.
Pearse Óg quickly regrouped. and scored four points in a row, including three from county defenders Andy Mallon and Paul Duffy, to briefly hit the lead for the only time in the game in the 29th minute, at 1-3 to 0-7.
Crossmaglen’s response was decisive as a fisted goal from Tony Kernan, after an unselfish pass from Clarke, put the champions ahead by 2-3 to 0-7 at the end of the half.
Cross were able to keep at least a two-point cushion ahead throughout the second-half. Jamie Clarke pounced for the third goal in the 53rd minute. when he fisted home after a free-flowing move.
CROSSMAGLEN RANGERS: P Hearty; P Hughes, J Morgan, P McKeown; A Kernan (0-2, two frees), B McKeown, M Aherne; J Hanratty (0-1), D McKenna; K Carragher, O McConville (0-2, one free), T Kernan (1-1); J Clarke (2-2), A Cunningham, K Brennan. Subs: S Kernan (0-1) for Brennan (30m), S Finnegan for B McKeown (45m), C Cumiskey for K Carragher (56m), G Carragher for McConville (58m), M Boyce for Hanratty (60m).
PEARSE ÓG: C McKinney; M Carson, G Barton, G McCoy; P Duffy (0-2), A Mallon (0-1), D Parkinson; C Rafferty, JP Donnelly; A Duffy (0-1), C Clarke (0-1), S Clarke; T Turley (0-1), K Hughes, M Cullen (0-5, four frees). Subs: S Moore for Hughes (35m), S Hughes for Carson (38m), S Gribben for McCoy (59m).
O'Carrolls to the fore in Kilmacud triumph
Kilmacud Crokes 2-10 Cuala 0-9:THE SO called "posh" final involving Dalkey and Stillorgan outfits drew a sizeable crowd to Parnell Park, with Kilmacud Crokes ending a 27-year wait to lift the Young Irelands Cup yesterday.
It was fitting that Ross O'Carroll lifted the trophy for Crokes for he had been their driving force in the first half.
Brothers Rory and Bill were well on top in the half-back line but Ross, having been one of Anthony Daly's most promising young stars prior to injury, looks back to his best.
The wing forward certainly had that spring in his step on the slippery Donnycarney surface and always looking to attack the ball at pace and certainly kept the Cuala defence on their toes.
Cuala, for their part, certainly underperformed on the day and while claims for a first-half penalty were turned down, too many balls were dropped short into the goalkeeper's hand in that period.
David Treacy alternated between the full forwards and half forwards but it was an unhappy afternoon for the Dublin hurler with marker Bill O'Carroll well on top in the latter stages.
There were doubts if Ryan O'Dwyer would start having begun the warm up togged out in tracksuit bottoms. But the Tipperary man turned Dublin forward was to make his mark in this game as Crokes twice found the back of the net in the first half.
Following an opening point from Ross O'Carroll, Crokes grabbed their first goal on five minutes when, off Ross O'Carroll's break, Kevin O'Loughlin's attempted point effort dropped back off the crossbar.
Barry O'Rorke followed up and while Cuala keeper, Sean Brennan blocked his initial effort, the former Dublin minor captain was on hand to turn home the rebound from a tight angle.
Barry Connolly was to open Cuala's account on the quarter hour before Treacy registered his first and only score when pointing from just inside the touchline.
O'Dwyer, who had been reasonably quiet in the opening stages, then created a good score for Sean McGrath but with nine minutes to go in the half, Colm Cronin weaved through the Crokes' defence only to have his run dubiously checked by Rory O'Carroll.
Cian Waldron would point for Cuala soon after, but Cuala were then rocked by a second goal when O'Dwyer pulled first-time on a ball played in by Sean McGrath on 25 minutes.
Cuala defender, Sean Moran, then ventured upfield to point for Cuala to leave it 2-3 to 0-4 at the break.
While early points from Barry Connolly and Waldron reduced the arrears to three points, the Dalkey men were never able to get close enough to Crokes who were able to wind down the clock with a series of frees near the end.
KILMACUD CROKES: M Collins; R Walsh, N Corcoran, J Doughan (0-1); B O'Carroll, Rory O Carroll, R O'Loughlin; C Clinton, D Mulligan (0-1); Ross O'Carroll (0-2), K O'Loughlin (0-2, two frees), J Sweeney; B O'Rorke (1-0), R O'Dwyer (1-0), S McGrath (0-3, one free). Subs: O O'Rorke for K O'Loughlin (ht), D Kelly (0-1) for B O'Rorke (47), N O'Riordan for Clinton (55), K O'Loughlin for McGrath (58).
CUALA: S Brennan; R Reid, P Schutte, S Timlin; S Moran (0-1), O Gough, C Gough; B Browne , C O'Callaghan; B Connolly, B Cronin (0-5, two frees, one 65), D Treacy (0-1); C Waldron (0-2), B Fitzgerald, M Schutte. Subs: L Keating for Fitzgerald ht, S Stapleton for Browne (55), D Cunningham for O'Callaghan (59).
