Dolan’s decision let Crossmaglen off the hook
Yesterday was no different, nor was it likely to be between two evenly matched sides.
For me the game turned decisively Crossmaglen’s way on one incident — Frankie Dolan found himself in a yard of space with Eoin Sheehy free and in support just after half-time. There was a definite goal chance. Sheehy had already goaled. and there was another green flag to be raised for the Connacht champions.
The correct decision for Dolan to have taken was to move the ball on to his unmarked team-mate, and if Paul Hearty was beaten by Sheehy, his side would have gone four to the good, 1-10 to 1-6. They would have taken a massive psychological step and it would have been a substantial boost to their chances of bringing the cup home to the county for the first time.
Instead Frankie went for Plan B and took his own point. Bad call.
Cross went up the field and hit them for 1-2; their major was a superbly executed goal by the brilliant Jamie Clarke.
At 2-8 to 1-8, Crossmaglen funnelled men behind the ball, held possession, hit a few points on the break. They are the masters of closing out a game. They have a PhD in strangulation of their opposition.
A three-point lead to them is like seven to most teams.
Game over. Title number five for the Armagh boys.
The Roscommon champions were always going to need another goal to see off a panel of men that has become so well acquainted with the Andy Merrigan Cup that it has its own spot in their cabinet case.
Let’s quickly look at the psychological reality in both dressing rooms before they went onto the pitch.
In one you had a team with four All-Ireland titles in the bag going for number five, and on the other side of the wall you had a side with none. Worse still, was the dark murky shadow of doubt cast by their county colleagues, Clann Na nGael, and their abysmal record in All-Irelands.
Clann played in five All-Ireland deciders. They lost them all. Four in succession from 1987 to 1990. Ouch.
Which side needed decisive leadership? All their huge decisions to be the correct ones? Which side needed a goal boost just after half-time to insulate them from any nagging doubts of defeat?
The better side won. Cross were a short head better because they had two scoring forwards and a better bench.
Forwards first: Jamie Clarke notched 1-3 from play and all his scores were top drawer. Oisín McConville shot 0-6 (four frees). Noel O’Brien, the St Brigid’s manager was almost totally dependent on the magnificent Senan Kilbride for scores. The Barrymore man hit 0-8 (five frees) and gave Paul Kernan a torrid time all through the game. Most of the points he kicked from frees were fouls won by himself. He is a handful for any full-back as he proved against Nemo in the semi-final and Fergal O’Donnell will be delighted to have him back in the county fold.
And what of the benches? John McEntee came on after only 20 minutes and did very well. He won ball and used it well. Kyle Carragher came on and punched over the last point. None of the St Brigids players made any impression. When you bring on a sub, you need them to make an impact.
David O’Connor, who is known in Kiltoom as “Jimmy-the-Nail” should have been brought on f15 minutes earlier than he was, and maybe he could have won a few balls and helped to shoulder Kilbride’s scoring burden.
Hats off to Crossmaglen. They are an amazing club and have an insatiable appetite for success. Their record of victories since 1997 is phenomenal, and they look to have reinvented themselves as a new team again with Clarke their key man. Nemo Rangers are still the top club with seven titles, their last in 2003, but the way the Northern Rangers are going the Cork lads will have to start looking in the rear-view mirror soon.
