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Rangers just do enough

Ulster Club FC Preliminary round/Crossmaglen Rangers 0-12 Gaoth Dobhair 1-4: Crossmaglen Rangers were far from impressive but…

Mon Oct 30 2006 - 00:00

Ulster Club FC Preliminary round/Crossmaglen Rangers 0-12 Gaoth Dobhair 1-4: Crossmaglen Rangers were far from impressive but they got the result in MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey, yesterday against a depleted Gaoth Dobhair side.

The 11-times Armagh champions put in a workmanlike display and they will have to improve before the quarter-final clash with Mullahoran.

Gaoth Dobhair, without captain James Gallagher (on honeymoon), got the perfect start with a goal from Joe Duffy after 17 seconds. Duffy took a great pass from Stephen Cassidy to crash the ball to the net.

But that was as good as it got for the Donegal men as Crossmaglen edged their way back into the contest thanks to great points from Martin Aherne and captain, Oisín McConville.

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By half-time Crossmaglen were ahead by 0-7 to 1-1 with Gaoth Dobhair missing two very pointable frees. The Donegal champions were only able to add three points in the second half, two of them from defenders Duffy and Neil McGee from full-back.

Crossmaglen kept chipping away with Michael McNamee very impressive in the second period and they were always at least three points clear and by the 61st minute that lead was stretched to six.

By that stage also Gaoth Dobhair were down to 14 men with Rúairí McCool's introduction as a substitute lasting only 90 seconds. Francie Bellew and John Donaldson were sound in defence, while McConville, Aherne and McNamee were impressive up front. Gaoth Dobhair had few good displays but Seán McGarvey had a great game in defence while Tomás Diver gave everything up front.

CROSSMAGLEN RANGERS: P Hearty; R Carragher, F Bellew, S McNamee; G O'Neill, J Donaldson, B McKeown; T McEntee, S Kernan; M Aherne (0-3), J McEntee, O McConville (0-5, three frees); J Murtagh, S Clarke, M McNamee (0-3). Subs: P Kernan for McKeown; T Kernan for Clarke; J Martin for O'Neill; J Hanratty (0-1) for J Murtagh.

GAOTH DOBHAIR: S Sweeney; C McFadden, N McGee (0-1), S McGarvey; D McBride, E McGee, J Duffy (1-1); K Cassidy, M McCafferty; P McGarvey, C Gallagher, B McGee; T Diver, S Cassidy (0-1), F Diver. Subs: C McCool for McBride; G Whoriskey (0-1, free) for Gallagher; J Carroll for F Diver; R McCool for P McGarvey.

Referee: B Toland (Derry).