Crossmaglen dominance continues with 19th Armagh title in 20 years

Crossmaglen Rangers 2-22 Armagh Harps 0-10

A champagne performance from Crossmaglen Rangers took them to their 19th Armagh senior football championship in twenty years at the Athletic Grounds yesterday.

Harps had simply no answer to the power and panache of their opponents who sustained their scoring assault until deep into the bowels of the contest.

Harps’ brisk, businesslike opening was to prove nothing more than a false dawn. By the end of the first quarter they were 0-7 to 0-1 adrift, Paul Hughes (2), Johnnny Hanratty, David McKenna, Michael McNamee, Martin Aherne and Michael McNamee all on target in response to Gareth Swift’s point for the city side after just ninety-seconds.

And although Ultan Lennon swept over Harps points in the 17th and 18th minute, the team’s inability to establish a foothold at midfield proved their undoing.

Hanratty and McKenna lorded matters there for Rangers and after McNamee and Tony Kernan had flighted over further points from placed balls, Rico Kelly emphasised the champions’ dominance when he thundered a spectacular shot to the net in the 28th minute to give his side a 1-10 to 0-5 interval lead.

And when David McKenna drilled home the Rangers’ second goal in the 43rd minute, it was the signal for a concerted blitz that carried them over the horizon, their pace and cohesion leaving their opponents in their slipstream.

Harps indeed were brought to their knees as the reigning champions, ferociously competitive throughout, rapped out a serious message of intent in relation to the Ulster Club Championship.

Full-forward and captain Gareth Swift tried his best to spark Harps’ resistance but his five points from play proved nothing more than a pin-prick in Rangers’ towering confidence.

For the moment, though, joint manager Oisin McConville is happy to lap up another domestic honour for Crossmaglen.

“Obviously we are delighted and things certainly went right for us on this occasion. But this will certainly not breed complacency and we must now keep our focus for the Ulster club series. There are some very good side in the province who will have their sights set on the trophy,” declared McConville.

Crossmaglen Rangers: P Hearty; P Hughes 0-2, A Rushe, P McKeown; S Finnegan, M Aherne 0-2, J Morgan; J Hanratty 0-1, D McKenna 1-1; M McNamee 0-4 (1f), S Kernan 0-1, T Kernan 0-5 (2 '45's, 2f); J Murtagh, R Kelly 1-1, K Carragher 0-4. Subs: O O'Neill 0-1 for Rushe (h/t), D McConville for McKenna (45), G Carragher for Kelly (50), D O'Callaghan for Morgan (54), S Farrelly for Hughes (55). A Cunningham for Hanaratty (Black card 37).

Armagh Harps: P Morrison; C McKee, M McCoy, M McConville; K Loughran 0-1, C White, J McElroy; C Vernon, D McKenna 0-1; R McShane 0-1, P Kelly, C Stevenson; U Lennon 0-2, G Swift 0-5 ( all frees) , C Coulter. Subs: R McGrath for McCoy, C Murphy for Stevenson (both h/t), P Campbell for Kelly (35), S Grimley for Lennon (45), S McCoy for Coulter (57).

Referee: Oliver Hearty (Belleeks).