Crossmaglen in a different class

Crossmaglen 2-22 Ballymacnab 0-3:IT WAS embarrassingly easy for Crossmaglen Rangers yesterday as they claimed their 15th Armagh title in the past 16 years and their 39th in total at the Morgan Athletic Grounds yesterday. Long before the end the outcome had been sealed – Ballymacnab did not score from play until the 52nd minute.

Rangers would have been well out of sight by the end of the first quarter had Ballymacnab goalkeeper Seán Hughes not made two superb saves from Jamie Clarke and Aaron Cunningham prior to pushing away Stephen Kernan’s 20th-minute penalty.

Michael McNamee and Cunningham shared six points with Aaron Kernan adding two more from frees and Johnny Hanratty, David McKenna, Tony Kernan and Stephen Kernan all getting on the score sheet.

It was not until the 24th minute that Ballymacnab’s Rory Grugan landed a point from a free but a 0-12 to 0-1 interval deficit underlined the vast gulf that existed between the sides.

Within 44 seconds of the restart Kernan was again on target and this set the tone for the remainder of the game and in the 41st minute substitute Kyle Brennan swept in a superb goal with his first touch of the ball. When Hanratty added a second four minutes later it turn a defeat into humiliation for Ballymacnab.

CROSSMAGLEN RANGERS: P Hearty; P McKeown, P Kernan, J Morgan; A Kernan (0-5, four frees), D O’Callaghan, S Finnegan; J Hanratty (0-2), D McKenna (0-1); T Kernan (0-2, one 45), S Kernan (0-2, one free), A Cunningham (0-5); J Clarke, F Hanratty (0-1), M McNamee (0-3). Subs: K Brennan (1-0) for McNamee (39 mins), M Lenaghan for Clarke (46 mins), M Aherne for S Finnegan (46 mins), O McConville (0-1, free) for T Kernan (51 mins), R Finnegan for J Hanratty (52 mins).

BALLYMACNAB: S Hughes; C Loughran (0-1), Dwayne McParland, Dominic McParland; B O’Hare, P Crilly, K Beagan; P Gribben, R Gribben; J Gray, R Grugan (0-2, frees ), J Gribben; B McCone, G McParland, R Kennedy. Subs: G McKee for R Gribben (20 mins), M Beagan for Gray (38 mins), S Kennedy for Dwayne Mcparland (51 mins).

Referee: Michael Leonard (St Peter’s).