EVEN BY THE standards of Crossmaglen Rangers, one of the most successful club teams in the country, this win will stand comparison with any of their best hours of football.
Even alongside the litany of heartbreak that Cavan clubs have experienced in Ulster competition, this one will sting.
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And even in the modern era, where 11-point leads are anything but safe, this was a comeback that felt incredibly unlikely, such was Gowna’s dominance in that opening 25 minutes.
It wasn’t just that the Cavan champions were 2-13 to 1-5 in front when Ryan Donohue added the finishing touch to Fionán Brady’s strong run, delicately rolling the ball past Miceál Murray for a corner-forward’s goal. They were full value for that lead, having lorded matters in every sector of the field up to that point.
Oisín O'Neill celebrates with Padraig Stuttard at the final whistle. Ben Brady / INPHO
An injury to Cillian Brady in the warmup was an early blow but Cormac Brady, Ryan McGahern and Fionán Brady were superb in the full back line against Crossmaglen’s stars, while further up the pitch, Daire Madden and Conor Casey were excellent on the wings and Conor Madden overwhelmed all opponents with his power and ball-winning ability.
Madden got a touch on a high shot from Casey for the opening goal and while Cian McConville replied with a route one green flag for the Armagh side, but two-pointers from Daire Madden and Fiachra Brady made it 1-13 to 1-5 at the turnaround and the roar of approval from the home crowd made it clear that they earned every bit of it.
Identifying why Crossmaglen worked their way back into the game was easy. Rian O’Neill and Oisín O’Neill may have landed some excellent kicks from distance, with Pearse Blessing joining the party late on, but it would have been hard for the black and amber attack not to score, such was the constant flow of good possession heading their way.
Identifying what Crossmaglen did differently to suddenly become lords of the sky and groundhogs without parallel when it came to first phase possession is not clear – the same players were involved, and there was no obvious tactical shift.
The upshot was the same – chance after chance, and while there were plenty of misses, gradually the scoreboard started to move.
Team captain Callum Cumiskey led the way with a fine curling left footed kick in between doubles from Blessing and Oisín O’Neill, and then Seamus Teelan won a ball between two defenders and hooked over the lead score heading into stoppage time.
Had that been the final act, the defeat would have stung Gowna – but more pain was coming.
First, there was hope – Ryan Donohue splitting the posts with a monster kick to put them back in front. Then the despair, as a controversial free against Eoghan Hartin gave Oisín O’Neill a two-point free, at a 45 degree angle to the posts.
O’Neill had been in sensational form, scoring 0-7 out of his 0-8 tally in the second half, but with Gowna backing off and expecting the shot, he dinked the ball into the middle and Rian O’Neill delivered a stunning strike under pressure to secure the win.
St Eunan’s advance
There was no such drama in Brewster Park, where St Eunan’s were comfortable in their 1-14 to 1-10 win over Erne Gaels Belleek.
The Letterkenny club held a vice-like grip on the home side’s attack in the first half and led by 0-7 to 0-3 at the interval, though they needed an outstanding save from goalkeeper Shaun Patton to preserve their lead.
Conor McDonnell Junior hit a goal and two points early in the second half and while Ultan Kelm hit two scores to narrow the gap, one a two-pointer, St. Eunan’s were never under any pressure.
Crossmaglen: Miceál Murray; Harry Cumiskey, Christopher Crowley, Caolan Dillon; Odhran Caraher, Stephen Morris, Eugene McEntee; Callum Cumiskey, Rian O’Neill; Ryan Martin, Pearse Blessing, Aaron Haughey; Aaron O’Neill, Oisín O’Neill, Cian McConville.
Subs: Keelan McEntee for H Cumiskey (28), Pádraig Stuttard for Caraher (37), Seamus Teelan for McEntee (53), Paul Hughes for Dillon (57).
Gowna: Mark Brady; Ryan McGahern, Cormac Brady, Fionán Brady; Fiachra Brady, Conor Brady, Tiarnan Madden; Ryan Brady, Ryan Donohue; Seánie Hartin, Conor Casey, Daire Madden; Oisín Pierson, Conor Madden, Cian Madden.
Subs: Eoghan Hartin for McGahern (34), Odhran Madden for S Hartin (47), Robbie Fitzpatrick for Pierson (58), Caolan Fitzpatrick for Fionán Brady (60+2).
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Stunning Crossmaglen comeback heaps pain on Gowna
Crossmaglen 1-22
Gowna 2-18
Kevin Egan reports from Kingspan Breffni
EVEN BY THE standards of Crossmaglen Rangers, one of the most successful club teams in the country, this win will stand comparison with any of their best hours of football.
Even alongside the litany of heartbreak that Cavan clubs have experienced in Ulster competition, this one will sting.
And even in the modern era, where 11-point leads are anything but safe, this was a comeback that felt incredibly unlikely, such was Gowna’s dominance in that opening 25 minutes.
It wasn’t just that the Cavan champions were 2-13 to 1-5 in front when Ryan Donohue added the finishing touch to Fionán Brady’s strong run, delicately rolling the ball past Miceál Murray for a corner-forward’s goal. They were full value for that lead, having lorded matters in every sector of the field up to that point.
An injury to Cillian Brady in the warmup was an early blow but Cormac Brady, Ryan McGahern and Fionán Brady were superb in the full back line against Crossmaglen’s stars, while further up the pitch, Daire Madden and Conor Casey were excellent on the wings and Conor Madden overwhelmed all opponents with his power and ball-winning ability.
Madden got a touch on a high shot from Casey for the opening goal and while Cian McConville replied with a route one green flag for the Armagh side, but two-pointers from Daire Madden and Fiachra Brady made it 1-13 to 1-5 at the turnaround and the roar of approval from the home crowd made it clear that they earned every bit of it.
Identifying why Crossmaglen worked their way back into the game was easy. Rian O’Neill and Oisín O’Neill may have landed some excellent kicks from distance, with Pearse Blessing joining the party late on, but it would have been hard for the black and amber attack not to score, such was the constant flow of good possession heading their way.
Identifying what Crossmaglen did differently to suddenly become lords of the sky and groundhogs without parallel when it came to first phase possession is not clear – the same players were involved, and there was no obvious tactical shift.
The upshot was the same – chance after chance, and while there were plenty of misses, gradually the scoreboard started to move.
Team captain Callum Cumiskey led the way with a fine curling left footed kick in between doubles from Blessing and Oisín O’Neill, and then Seamus Teelan won a ball between two defenders and hooked over the lead score heading into stoppage time.
Had that been the final act, the defeat would have stung Gowna – but more pain was coming.
First, there was hope – Ryan Donohue splitting the posts with a monster kick to put them back in front. Then the despair, as a controversial free against Eoghan Hartin gave Oisín O’Neill a two-point free, at a 45 degree angle to the posts.
O’Neill had been in sensational form, scoring 0-7 out of his 0-8 tally in the second half, but with Gowna backing off and expecting the shot, he dinked the ball into the middle and Rian O’Neill delivered a stunning strike under pressure to secure the win.
St Eunan’s advance
There was no such drama in Brewster Park, where St Eunan’s were comfortable in their 1-14 to 1-10 win over Erne Gaels Belleek.
The Letterkenny club held a vice-like grip on the home side’s attack in the first half and led by 0-7 to 0-3 at the interval, though they needed an outstanding save from goalkeeper Shaun Patton to preserve their lead.
Conor McDonnell Junior hit a goal and two points early in the second half and while Ultan Kelm hit two scores to narrow the gap, one a two-pointer, St. Eunan’s were never under any pressure.
Scorers for Crossmaglen: Oisín O’Neill 0-8 (1tpf, 1tp, 0-1f), Rian O’Neill 0-5 (1tpf, 1tp), Cian McConville 1-1 (0-1f), Pearse Blessing 0-3 (1tp), Keelan McEntee 0-2, Odhran Carraher 0-1, Callum Cumiskey 0-1, Seamus Teelan 0-1.
Scorers for Gowna: Ryan Donohue 1-3 (1tp), Cian Madden 0-4f, Conor Casey 0-4 (1tp), Conor Madden 1-0, Fiachra Brady 0-2 (tp), Daire Madden 0-2 (tp), Conor Brady 0-1, Seánie Hartin 0-1, Odhran Madden 0-1.
Crossmaglen: Miceál Murray; Harry Cumiskey, Christopher Crowley, Caolan Dillon; Odhran Caraher, Stephen Morris, Eugene McEntee; Callum Cumiskey, Rian O’Neill; Ryan Martin, Pearse Blessing, Aaron Haughey; Aaron O’Neill, Oisín O’Neill, Cian McConville.
Subs: Keelan McEntee for H Cumiskey (28), Pádraig Stuttard for Caraher (37), Seamus Teelan for McEntee (53), Paul Hughes for Dillon (57).
Gowna: Mark Brady; Ryan McGahern, Cormac Brady, Fionán Brady; Fiachra Brady, Conor Brady, Tiarnan Madden; Ryan Brady, Ryan Donohue; Seánie Hartin, Conor Casey, Daire Madden; Oisín Pierson, Conor Madden, Cian Madden.
Subs: Eoghan Hartin for McGahern (34), Odhran Madden for S Hartin (47), Robbie Fitzpatrick for Pierson (58), Caolan Fitzpatrick for Fionán Brady (60+2).
Ref: Paul Faloon (Drumgath, Down).
GAA Ulster SFC Quarter-Final