fonaCAB Ulster Minor Club Football Championship at St Paul’s
Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh) 3-9 Ballyholland Harps (Down) 2-8
By John McIlwaine
Crossmaglen booked their place in the final of the fonaCAB Ulster minor football tournament at St Paul’s on Sunday when they saw off the challenge of Down champions Ballyholland in a thrilling game at Shaw’s Road. The Armagh champions had quite a few stars in their line-up with full forward Cian McConville making a big claim for man of the match, but he would have had big competition for that honour at the other end of the field where the Rangers goalkeeper Stephen Morgan gave a magnificent display as he denied a dangerous Ballyholland forward line time after time to keep his team in front. The Down champions created numerous goal chances throughout the hour, and though they ended up with two goals to their total it could well have had at least three or four more had it not been for excellent saves by the big man between the Cross posts.
Full forward McConville (who ended with 2-4 to his name) showed his class early in the game when he won possession in behind two Ballyholland defenders and broke clear to drilled the ball to the net. At the other end the Down boys were creating chance after chance, but poor finishing and some excellent goalkeeping by Morgan was proving their downfall, the Cross custodian denying John McGovern with a great block with the first of his many great saves.
The Armagh boys were four to the good before Pearse Loughran opened their account with a pointed free, which settled them down and after Stephen Grant got their second point some excellent play through the middle ended with a goal from excellent midfielder Billy Campbell midway through the first half. However Cross responded well and turned the game back in their favour as four point without reply helped them to a 1-5 to 1-3 lead at the break.
A pointed free by Ballyholland’s Pearse Loughran cut the gap to the minimum early in the second half but Crossmaglen hit back strongly and when they were awarded a penalty minutes later McConville showed his class to slot the ball the net. With gap out to five it looked like Cross were in cruise control but to their credit Ballyholland hit back and after being denied by Morgan saves on more than one occasion they eventually made the breakthrough when Ryan Connolly fired to the net to tie the scores at 2-6 apiece after fifty minutes.
The Down champions must have felt they were in with a great chance at this stage, but they were rocked back on their heels again when Crossmaglen came back with a goal of their own two minutes later, corner forward James Teelan palming the ball to the empty net after a cutting move through the middle by McConville and right-half forward Odhran Kieran drew the Ballyholland defence out of position.
Ballyholland would give up the fight and the cut their arrears back to the minimum with two fine points from the speedy Luke Forster and centre forward Loughran as the excitement grew to fever pitch. They actually had a chance to go ahead with just three minute remaining but shot wide of the target and were made to pay as Cross finished with a flurry to book a place in the New Year’s Day final against the winners of the second semi-final between Bellaghy and St Eunan’s Letterkenny.
Ballyholland: D Sheridan; M Kelly, C Brady, E Hughes; S Campbell, R Mullholland, L Forster (0-1); D Vardy, B Campbell (1-0); C O’Reilly, P Loughran (0-3, 2f), R Connolly (1-0); J McGovern (0-1), S Grant (0-3, 2f), E Doyle
Subs: J Osbourne for R Mulholland (36), N Wray for E Hughes (40), B Mackle for E Doyle (41)
Crossmaglen: S Morgan; D Stuttard, R Duffy, T Cassidy; L Finnegan, T O’Callaghan, M Murray; O McKeown, E McMahon; O Kieran (0-2), P Finnegan, C Dooley; O Doyle (0-3, 2f), C McConville (2-4, 1-3f), J Teelan (1-0)
Referee: E McHugh (Tyrone)
