Murtagh the new blood Crossmaglen needed

HARD to credit it now when they are 60 minutes away from bringing the Andy Merrigan Cup home for a fourth time but Crossmaglen couldn’t find a manager for love or money at the start of the season.

For 10 years they had held Armagh football in their vice-like grip but some in the area felt the good times were about to end. The team needed an infusion of new blood and few were ready with the drip.

No-one wanted to be known as the man who managed Crossmaglen the day they lost their grip on the county title. Donal Murtagh didn’t see it that way.