Sport

McEntee gets timing right for Rangers

Ulster SFC Semi-final/ Crossmaglen 1-9 Clontibret 0-11 : Crossmaglen Rangers booked their Ulster final place with the minimum…

Mon Nov 27 2006 - 00:00

Ulster SFC Semi-final/ Crossmaglen 1-9 Clontibret 0-11: Crossmaglen Rangers booked their Ulster final place with the minimum to spare over Clontibret in Breffni Park yesterday.

Oisín McConville was dismissed on a second bookable offence in injury-time, but, by then, he had already registered four points while John McEntee also contributed to the cause with two long-range scores at vital times.

Crossmaglen's goal came in the 12th minute when Johnny Hanratty got a fist to a high centre from John McEntee, although there was a hint of square ball about it.

A point from Fergal Mone reduced the margin to four points, but, by the 24th minute, Crossmaglen were six points clear thanks to scores from Michael McNamee and John McEntee.

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The final minutes of the first half saw Clontibret come more into the game and two points from Conor McManus left four points between the sides at the break, 1-5 to 0-4.

Clontibret were a transformed team on the resumption as they hit four points without reply to throw the issue wide open. Points from McConville and John McEntee restored Crossmaglen to a two-point lead by the opening minute of the final quarter. Tony Kernan put them three points up in the 17th minute with McConville hitting what turned out to be the winning point in the 28th minute.

Entering the final minutes, Clontibret pinned Crossmaglen back and, as the game went into stoppage time, they picked off three points without reply from Fergal Mone (two), and Pádraig McGuigan to leave the minimum between the sides at the final whistle.

CROSSMAGLEN: P Hearty; R Carragher, T McEntee, S McNamee; P Kernan, J Donaldson, B McKeown; J McEntee (0-2), S Clarke; M Aherne, M McNamee (0-2), O McConville (0-4); J Murtagh, J Hanratty (1-0), T Kernan (0-1). Subs: D McKenna for M Aherne, S Finnegan for J Donaldson, Cathal Short for J Murtagh, J Hughes for M McNamee.

CLONTIBRET: P McElroy; E Greenan, E Ward, P Duffy; R Gorman (0-1), D Mone (0-1), D McKenna; JP Mone, D McKeown; P McGuigan (0-1), F Mone (0-3), C McManus (0-3); M Hughes (0-1), V Corey (0-1), N Morgan. Subs: M Rooney for N Morgan, C Greenan for D McKeown, B Óg Magennis for M Rooney.

Referee: P Reynolds(Down).