Ulster SFC Quarter-finals/Bellaghy 0-11 Crossmaglen 0-9: After the rough justice of the International Rules it was good to get back to more comforting rivalries. No compromise here. Yesterday Bellaghy got the victory they so craved, and deserved.
The game was played out like that old yarn about the hare and the tortoise, only this time Bellaghy got a head start, Crossmaglen were slow to chase, and once the finish line came into view it was obvious who was going to win.
With the strong wind at their backs, and a fair share of the 6,000-strong crowd, Bellaghy built up a 0-11 to 0-2 advantage at half-time. Bellaghy survived the second-half onslaught of the 10-time Armagh champions - including late goal scares.
Despite fielding six of Armagh's regular championship side there was something lacklustre about Crossmaglen. The McEntee brothers, Tony and John, looked tired while Aaron Kernan and Oisín McConville came into the game a little too late. McConville spearheaded the second-half comeback, hitting 0-5 (four frees), and Kernan also showed spark later on, but with four of their six forwards remaining scoreless defeat was partly self inflicted.
Initially Bellaghy had problems with the wind, but once they found their range they were hard to stop. Joe Cassidy was provider and executioner of several scores and ended with 0-4. Gavin Diamond and Louis McPeake also showed for plenty of ball, and after 20 minutes the Derry club were up 0-5 to 0-1. McConville's first free on 22 minutes was possibly the first time he touched the ball, but that was because Bellaghy controlled so much of the outfield ball. Fergal Doherty and Joe Diver hoovered up around midfield, and Diver chipped in with two excellent points.
Tony McEntee moved to midfield in an attempt to stem the flow, but Crossmaglen didn't look like scoring for the closing 10 minutes of the first half. At the other end, Cassidy drew a couple of smart frees off their defence, and by the end of the half five of the six Bellaghy forwards had scored. Three of those points came in added time, and it felt like Crossmaglen were content to wait for the half-time whistle.
They must have sensed the turnaround score of 0-11 to 0-2 could come back to haunt them. Crossmaglen did hit the accelerator hard for the closing 30 minutes. McConville shot a free and a point within seven minutes, and Bellaghy's response was to get physical. When Paul Hearty was bulldozed into his own goal tempers flared.
Crossmaglen's Cathal Short had the first clear-cut goal chance, but Michael McGoldrick read his shot. With four minutes remaining the lead was down to four points. John McEntee was sent through on the goal but but his shot ballooned high and wide of any target.
Five minutes of added time and Crossmaglen continued to chase hard. McConville had the last of their goal chances, but his flick flew just wide. He added a final free on 62 minutes, and Kernan another a minute later.
BELLAGHY: B Scullion; M McGoldrick, M McShane, D O'Neill; P Diamond, C McNally, K Doherty; F Doherty, J Diver (0-2); F Glackin (0-1), G Doherty, L McPeake (0-1); D Griffin (0-1), J Cassidy (0-4, three frees), G Diamond (0-2). Subs: C Scullion for Graffin (45 mins), P Scullion for Glackin (58 mins).
CROSSMAGLEN: P Hearty; B McKeown, F Bellow, G O'Neill; A Kernan (0-2, frees), T McEntee, S McNamee; J Donaldson, A Cunningham; J Murtagh, J McEntee (0-1), O McConville (0-6, five frees); M Aherne, M McNamee, C Short. Subs: C O'Neill for Aherne (39 mins), T Kernan for Murtagh (45 mins), S Clarke for Short (53 mins).
Referee: J White (Donegal).
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