McConville says professional ethic back at Crossmaglen

CROSSMAGLEN veteran Oisín McConville has made a thinly-veiled swipe at the club’s management last season, insisting current bosses Tony McEntee and Gareth O’Neill have brought back a more professional ethic into the senior panel.

The two-time All Star claimed his eighth Ulster club crown in Cavan on Sunday, 15 months after he considered retiring following Rangers’ defeat to Pearse Óg in a county quarter-final.

Manager Donal Murtagh, current Armagh selector, stepped down after the shock loss which denied Crossmaglen a 14th consecutive county title.

However, the brilliant border club returned to winning ways this year under McEntee and O’Neill, and McConville is adamant their input made the difference.

“At the start of the year, I didn’t know whether I was going to come back and there were a few of us in that boat,” admitted the 35-year-old.

“Gareth told us to come out and see how the training was going for January and February and it was good and refreshing. They’ve turned the thing around in this club; it’s more professional.

“We were in a comfort zone winning championships but we’re back and working harder than we ever have done.”

McConville, who had to postpone his stag party after the provincial final against Naomh Conaill was put back a week because of bad weather, was full of praise for his young partner up-front, man of the match Jamie Clarke.

The exciting Orchard attacker scored 1-2 and set up a goal for McConville in his first game back from suspension.

“He owed me that one, he’s owed me that one for a while,” laughed McConville.

“He’s phenomenal, he’s brilliant. He’s been out of football for 10 weeks so it’s great that he’s back putting in those sort of performances. It’s brilliant and these boys are unbelievable. We have loads of young fellas and you’ve seen what we can bring off the bench.”

McConville belied his years to score 1-4 of his team’s 2-9 tally on Sunday, Cross’ highest in their eight Ulster finals (their previous bests were 0-14 in the 2004 win over Mayobridge and 1-11 against Bellaghy in 1998).

It was something he mentioned in the aftermath of the victory. And he should know.

Like goalkeeper and substitutes Francie Bellew and John McEntee, he was there for every one of those showdowns.

“Francie is brilliant, he came on in the county final and got man of the match. John is working hard, everybody is working hard, it doesn’t matter if you’re 35 or 17.

“When we won an Armagh title this year we wanted to win an Ulster; now that we’ve won an Ulster we want to win an All-Ireland.”