Crossmaglen conquer Ulster, again!
By Dan O'Neill
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Crossmaglen Rangers will now be looking to capture the All-Ireland
club championship for the third time in four years. Such a feat would
mark Joe Kernan's side as one of the best club sides in the history of
the game
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``People say we're on a downward spiral - we're on no downward spiral,''
was Joe Kernan's warning to those sides who harbour ambitions to take
the All-Ireland crown from Crossmaglen come next March.
His side confounded the critics, who talked of the Crossmaglen team
being `burnt out' in the run up to Sunday's Ulster Club football
final. After five years at the top, there was plenty of hunger still
left in the bellies of Kernan's side as they fought back to steal the
game off Enniskillen Gaels with a late point at the finish by John
McEntee. He'll be walking on water in that part of the country as the
same man got the late winner on St. Patrick's Day at Croke Park in
last season's All-Ireland victory over Ballina.
Despite Gavin Cumiskey's dismissal two minutes before the break,
Cross' kept their cool and held off the Fermanagh champions in the
second half with another typical spirited performance.
The Gaels will be gutted as they will feel they kicked themselves out
of the game after shooting 13 wides. They did themselves no favours
either by playing an ineffective short-passing game.
Crossmaglen's greater experience was a key factor in the second half
as they took over at midfield, which up until then had been dominated
by Paul Brewster of Enniskillen. Despite this, the Armagh champions
were never ahead in the second half until the last minute of the game.
Their `infamous' fighting spirit carried them through to give them
another Ulster title.
Kernan's side will now be looking to capture the All-Ireland club
championship for the third time in four years. Such a feat would mark
Crossmaglen as one of the best club sides in the history of the game -
all this success achieved under the shadow of the British Army/RUC
base which has been a source of great hardship for the club for 25
years.
Clare side Doonbeg, the current Munster champions, or either UCC or
Rathgormack, who drew in the second Munster semi-final at the weekend,
will be Crossmaglen's next opponents.
Elsewhere, Na Fianna reached the Leinster final with an easy win over
Portlaoise. The Dublin side look like the biggest threat to
Crossmaglen's crown and have many classy players. They are captained
by Mick Galvin and have Dessie Farrell in attack. Crossmaglen aren't
the only Armagh interest left in the club championship as two Orchard
county stars, Kieran McGeeney and Des Mackin, play their football with
Na Fianna.
In the other Leinster semi, Kildare champions Sarsfields were too
strong for Killanerin of Wexford. Sarsfields also boast some good
players in the likes of Dermott Earley and Niall Buckley and should
make the Leinster final tight.
In Connacht, Crossmolin and Roscommon Gaels will have to meet again in
the decider after playing out a draw at Hyde Park.
McCarthy taking the `Mick'
It was same old story for Mick McCarthy as the Irish team's chances of
qualification for a major tournament failed at the last hurdle.
Unfortunately, last Wednesday night's bitter disappointment in Bursa
is nothing new for the Irish boss and has been all too common during
his tenure as manager. Just as in the 1998 World Cup play-off
qualifier against Belgium, the damage was done in the first game at
Lansdowne Road, when Ireland conceded their lead late in the game.
More importantly, they gave Turkey a valuable away goal which meant
they had to score in Bursa. And without the suspended Robbie Keane,
this was always going to prove very difficult.
McCarthy, in a press conference after the Turkey game commented, with
a hint of self-pity, that when he got back to Dublin he was going to
change his name by deed poll to `lucky'.
His assertion that Ireland's failure to qualify for Euro 2000 was
merely down to a lack of Irish luck is highly questionable to say the
least. In all honesty, bad tactics on his part and a mediocre pool of
players were Ireland's downfall.
Even he will concede that the selections for the game against Croatia
were dubious. We were lucky only to lose 1-0 to Suker's 94th minute
winner as the Croats dominated the game from start to finish.
McCarthy's option of relegating Robbie Keane and Niall Quinn to the
bench and playing Cascarino up front on his own against a world-class
side was madness. This only three days after a magnificent display
against Yugoslavia at Lansdowne Road.
Were they unlucky also to concede that late equaliser in Macedonia
that cost automatic qualification to the finals? If we're honest we'll
say they didn't deserve a win. The second half performance was very
negative and the only surprise was that Macedonia didn't score
earlier. This gamble to play for the 1-0 win and to sit back and soak
up all the pressure may have worked in the days of Paul McGrath, David
O'Leary, Kevin Moran and even of Mick himself at the back, but with
the present bunch of defenders this was another bad idea.
Against Turkey they were outplayed over the two legs, especially in
the second leg. Only for Dean Kiely in goal the score would have been
four or five-nil. The self-inflicted suspension of Robbie Keane was a
blow but would he really have made a difference in the second tie? I
don't think so.
The European campaign has been a story of gambles, which have
unfortunately, in most cases not paid off. Nevertheless, it was an
achievement that Ireland finished second in a highly competitive
qualifying group. When the draw was made for the qualifiers, a runners
up place looked likely, and the fact that we are all bitterly
disappointed at not going to Holland next summer shows that Mick
McCarthy must have done at least something right.