Brave Burren put to sword in showdown

30 November 2011

BURREN’S dream of regaining the AIB Ulster Club SFC title were dealt a crushing blow after just 14 minutes when their midfielder Anto McArdle was red-carded and they had to play for three-quarters of the game with 14 players.

Crossmaglen were always the masters in this contest, but it was only in the closing stages that they really got the scores that gave them a seven points victory.

They had strong defenders in Paul and Aaron Kernan, Paul McKeown and Danny O’Callaghan. John Hanratty and David McKenna just shaded midfield where Burren, despite their numerical disadvantage, played their hearts out.

Burren had strong defenders in Daniel McCarran, Ciaran McGovern (inset) and David McEntee ,but the attack was wasteful with the best work coming from James McGovern, Sean Murdock and Declan O’Hare, who scored six points from frees, but who also was off the mark on a few occasions.

Burren took a long time to settle and it was not until they were depleted in numbers that they had their first score when Declan O’Hare pointed. Jamie Clarke and Oisin McConville with two points each had Crossmaglen well clear and with 21 minutes gone the brilliant Clarke set up Oisin McConville for a goal which gave them a 1-5 to 0-2 lead.

Burren refused to throw in the towel and three pointed frees by Declan O’Hare left half-time Crossmaglen 1-7 Burren 0-5.

Burren restarted in brilliant fashion and two points by O’Hare and one from Kevin McKernan reduced the Crossmaglen lead to three points and things were looking bright.

But that vital goal eluded them while both Declan O’Hare and Shay McArdle missed good chances.

Two brilliant saves by Cathal Murdock in the Burren goal denied Oisin McConville and Stephen Kernan, but a point from a free and another from a 45 by Stephen Kernan saw Crossmaglen into a 1-11 to 0-8 lead.

James McGovern pointed for Burren when a goal looked certain and four minutes from time, after Murdock had again saved from defender Paul McKeown, the ball fell to substitute Kyle Carragher who scrambled to the net for a goal that saw the winners ahead by 2-11 to 0-9 and the title safely back again in the South Armagh club for another year.

Crossmaglen: P. Hearty, J. Morgan, P. Kernan, P. McKeown, A. Kernan (0-2 frees), D. O’Callaghan, S. Finnegan, J. Hanratty, D. McKenna (0-1), T. Kernan (0-1 45), S. Kernan (0-1 free), A. Cunningham (0-2), J. Clarke (0-2), O. McConville (1-2, 0-2 frees), M. McNamee. Subs: F. Hanratty for McNamee (12), K. Carragher (1-0) for McConville (48), M. Aherne for Hanratty (52), K. Brennan for Cunningham (59).

Burren: C. Murdock, R. McGovern, D. McCartan, G. McCartan, K. McKernan (0-1), Ciaran McGovern, D. McEntee, A. Higgins, A. McArdle, Conal McGovern (0-1), S. Murdock, P. Poland, D. O’Hare (0-7, 0-6 frees), J. McGovern (0-1), S. McArdle. Subs: E. Toner for P. Poland (29), C. Byrne for Murdock (54), G. Sands for A. Higgins (56).

Referee: M. Higgins (Fermanagh).

Crossmaglen 2-11

Burren 0-10

ULSTER CLUB SFC FINAL

Tweets by @TheDownRecorder