Crossmaglen Rangers put grimm end to Fairytale

AIB All-Ireland club semi-final

Crossmaglen Rangers 4-12 Dromcollogher-Broadford (Limerick) 0-06

The famed Grimm brothers could lend no hand as the “big bad wolf “ in the shape of Crossmaglen Rangers ravaged the fairytale hopes of Limerick side and competition minnows Dromcollogher-Broadford in a one side AIB All-Ireland club semi-final at a well appointed Pearse Park, Longford.

Having scaled the dizzy heights from Junior club to Munster Senior club champions leaving Nemo Ranger (Cork) and Kilmurray-Ibrickane (Clare) in their wake they found the best club team in the country a step too far. The rank outsiders needed an off day from Cross and everything to go right for them if their fairytale run to the final was to continue. The shock defeat for Cross at this stage of the competition last year left the Armagh side in no mood for complacency. Once Jamie Clarke slotted home a goal after two minutes in Rangers first attack the Grimm brothers fairytale was to be replaced by a Stephen King script as it all fell asunder for Dromcollogher –Broadford.

Crossmaglen Rangers, the four times All-Ireland champions, scored four goals for only the second time in their 107 championship matches played since 1996 as they recorded their biggest ever win in a championship match outside of Armagh. It was back in 1999 against Keady when Cross last scored four championship goals winning 4-08 to 0-06. Only Keady in 2000 (3-14 to 0-03), Clann Eireann in 2005 (2-21 to 0-07) and Clan Na Gael in 2008 (3-15 to 0-04) have suffered heavier defeats than Dromcollogher-Broadford at the hands of Cross in championship battle.

The Limerick side did have one win on the day, the toss, and elected to play against the stiff breeze. The underdogs from the throw-in put Cross defence under pressure and a foul on Sean Buckley out near the sideline drew a free. From a very tight angle midfielder Patrick Donnelly fired over the games opening score from the free. The Kernan brothers Tony (on from the start in place of the named other brother Stephen) combined with Aaron who cut through the Drom defence before delightfully placing his fist pass inside the corner back to the on running Jamie Clarke. As veteran goalkeeper Eamon Scollard (19 years between the posts) advanced Clarke coolly and calmly converted high to the roof of the net. From one young maestro to a slightly older one, as Oisin McConville fired over Rangers first point two minutes later 1-1 to 0-1. Stephen Kernan came in at centre forward in place of the injured Tony McEntee with John McEntee going to midfield in place of his brother.

Derry McCarthy scored a good point from play for Drom but it was to prove to be their last score for 20 minutes. Ten minutes in, Rangers team captain John Donaldson combined to set up Clarke for a point. A high catch at midfield from David McKenna launched another Rangers attack. A quartet of inter player passes brought the ball to the edge of the small square in the hands of Mickey McNamee. Mickey offloaded to none other than centre half-back Francie Bellew. Showing great composure in alien territory Francie had the presence of mind to fist the ball across the goal to an unmarked John Murtagh to fist goal number two.

Dromcollogher-Broadford were now on the back foot with sallies forward becoming increasingly thwarted by solid defending from Paul Kernan and Bellew in particular. Following a very brave block from Paul Kernan the ball found Mickey McNamee who launched a pass to Oisin, a fleeting goal chance was spurned as he elected to take the point that made it 2-4 to 0-2. The only thorn in the Rangers rearguards side was full forward Ray Lynch who plundered his team’s first score in 20 minutes following good work by Garry Egan. Substitute Stephen Kernan notched the next point for Cross before brother Paul was very harshly penalised allowing Michael Reidy to open his account from the free to leave it 2-5 to 0-4 as play entered the added on time of two minutes. Oisin capped off a good first half for Cross with the last score of the half a free from over 50 meters out, giving his team an 8 point cushion at the break 2-06 to 0-04.

On the restart Cross breached the Drom defence but a bit of over elaboration from John Murtagh saw the goal chance go a begging. One of the very few direct deliveries into the full-forward line by Drom yielded a very good overhead kicked point from Lynch as the underdogs, like in the first half, bagged the opening score. But in a carbon copy re-run Rangers reply to the opening score was to raise another green flag. Aaron Kernan sent a delivery, well fielded by Murtagh who offloaded to Clarke and he showed good awareness to pass across to Tony Kernan who netted goal number three. The third goal killed any hopes of a comeback and completely took the sting out of the game with some 27 minutes remaining. Aaron opened his account with a free and the next score was suicide on behalf of the losers. Their ploy of playing the ball across and back of their own half back line throughout the match was further compounded by a terrible defensive blunder. Patrick Donnelly coming across his own square fisted the ball directly to a grateful Tony Kernan who gleefully tucked away his second and Rangers fourth goal.

The match, long over as a contest, saw Cross add another 5 points with Oisin, Clarke, substitute Kyle Carragher, Aaron & Stephen Kernan all finding the target to a solitary reply from a free by Reidy. Without being unduly extended Cross notched 2-6 in each half with the limited scoring power coming into the game of Dromcollogher-Broadford further illustrated with a return of 0-6, 2 points in a wind assisted second half. Credit must go to a very gallant sporting performance from the losers who took their beating in the right taste, endeavouring against ever mounting odds to play football. The aims of the club championship is to give clubs like Dromcollogher-Broadford the opportunity for days like last Saturday and with a Munster title under their belts they can be very proud of their achievements.

So it’s a fifth day out for Crossmaglen Rangers in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day. Having dismissed one of the smaller rural clubs in the semi, Crossmaglen Rangers will face one of the bigger clubs, Kilmacud Crokes, the Dublin and Leinster champions in the final. With 26 winning finals in a row under their belts going into this latest one Cross will start as favourites to keep that record intact. Just as they don’t do losing finals Cross don’t believe in fairytales just ask Dromcollogher-Broadford.

Crossmaglen Rangers 

P Hearty; B McKeown, P Kernan, P McKeown; A Kernan (0-2, 1f), F Bellew, J Donaldson; T McEntee, D McKenna; M McNamee, J McEntee, J Clarke (1-2); T Kernan (2-0), J Murtagh (1-1), O McConville (0-4, 1f). Subs: S Kernan (0-2) for T McEntee (5 inj); S Finnegan for J Murtagh (45); M Aherne for McNamee (45); K Carragher (0-1) for Donaldson (45); J Hanratty for McConville (45).

Dromcollagher-Broadford 

E Scollard; D O’Leary, T Stack, E Barry; N Conway, T McLoughlin, M Clancy; P Donnelly (0-1, 1f), J Stokes; D McCarthy (0-1), M Reidy (0-2, 2f), S Buckley; G Egan, R Lynch (0-2), G Noonan. Subs: K Culhane for Clancy (37 inj); J O’Kelly for Noonan (52); M O’Sullivan for Donnelly (55); D O’Connor for Barry (57); J Ryan for Egan (59).

Ref – Derek Fahy (Longford)

 Donal Murtagh 

Team had been well warned about complacency and we were in good tune coming into the game. We knew we slipped up last year and over the years probably feel that we should have added a few more titles. Commenting on Paul Hearty’s statement that the goal was to beat Nemo Rangers record Donal said “why not –for to achieve success- this should be our long term goal “

 Aaron Kernan 

“A good team performance, it shows you what the competition for starting places does. Even the early loss of Tony Mac did not hinder us as the squad has shown down the years that it can cope with losses of key players such is our strength on the bench. There will be some competition over the next three weeks in training for starting places for Paddy’s Day “

Joe Brudair –

“It is a great day for Dromcollogher-Broadford to be here at this stage of the competition. We had got here on top of some very good defensive performances but had no answer to the power and pace of Crossmaglen who easily opened us up. The two early goals killed us.  No matter how strong mentally you are Underdogs need the breaks. We were confident and as well prepared as we could have been but disappointed that we did not give a better account of ourselves. I am very proud of my players and while it looks bad now, in a week or two we will reflect on what has been a very good year for the club.  We managed to put Limerick football on the map by winning the Munster title.”

 Ned English- 

No complaints, beaten by a far better side. Very proud of our boys they kept plugging away, never resorted to foul tactics and took defeat on the chin. This Crossmaglen side would beat many a county team let alone our little club. Happy to have lived the dream.