Cross crave winning feeling

THERE are two theories doing the rounds as to why All-Ireland club champions Crossmaglen weren’t, as per norm, awarded a team holiday.

One is rooted in reality; the other in perception.

Oisín McConville, on behalf of old Crossmaglen, explains the first hypothesis. “People see us having had success for the last 16 or 17 years but from the financial view of the club we have paid heavily. A lot of money has been spent to prepare us. No stone has been left unturned. We’re lucky in that we have home-grown managers but we don’t do things by halves and players are treated well. You’d hope if we win another (All-Ireland) we might get something even if it’s a weekend in Glasgow but that’s the reality of it. Years ago, you’d look forward to 10 days in Dubai. Now it’d be lovely to get to Donegal for a weekend.”

Jamie Clarke, representing new Crossmaglen, puts forward the other case. “We would have been expecting a holiday for winning an All-Ireland but Tony (McEntee) and Gareth (O’Neill) said no. There was no waiting about — we went straight back into it. The boys believe we can deliver another one. We’re not looking past Ballinderry but it’s good to have that faith shown in us.”

Clarke’s point is expanded on by McConville, the veteran who was supposed to have hung his boots after last March’s win over St Brigid’s, but is now enjoying the role as an impact substitute.

Crossmaglen, he admits, have been stung by suggestion their fifth All-Ireland was a handy one and Ballinderry played a part.

As the 36-year-old explains: “We got a lot of feedback from last year’s All-Ireland and it was said that it was a soft All-Ireland. Now we played and beat a big, big team in Kilmacud Crokes (in the semi-final) in my view but those things were still said.

“We didn’t play Ballinderry last year and there’s something about them. There’s a steel about them, they have flair, players who mix it up with teams. They’re steeped in the Ulster championship. They’re a team that refuse to give in. I remember in the 2008 Ulster final (first game) I got the goal at the end to put us four points up and was thinking ‘nice one, we’ve won’. But they followed it up with a point and then a goal to show us what they’re made of. Mentally, physically, they’re a team you want to beat because they’re as good an outfit as we have played. If we beat Ballinderry we know we’ve beaten somebody.”

It’s in Ulster when Crossmaglen have found their level. Winning a county final by 25 points as they did last month — their 15th in 16 years — does nobody any good, including Rangers.

“People asked me after why couldn’t we have won by 10 instead of 25 and showed some respect (to Ballymacnab),” recalls McConville. “But we prepared for that match expecting a sterner test. We prepared as well for that final as any I can remember. We showed the respect in getting ourselves right as best we could. The only downside is we haven’t had a tough battle yet.”

Both McConville and Clarke acknowledge St Gall’s didn’t put up anything close to the opposition they would have expected last day out. But they don’t anticipate an easy ride in Belfast tomorrow. Their two final games in 2008 were bruisers, the replay seeing a brawl in the Enniskillen tunnel at half-time.

“Ballinderry would have been annoyed with themselves because they had chances to win both games but we’ve moved on from those games,” says Clarke. That’s the thing — the resilience of Crossmaglen remains cast-iron but the manner in which they go about winning games has changed utterly from even three years ago.

Clarke, who was sent off at this stage last year against Burren and is fuelled by the memory of it today, is the prime example of how Crossmaglen have gone from wearing boxing to velvet gloves.

“The gameplan has been transformed under Gareth and Tony. The old hands aren’t there anymore and they recognise with the younger boys we have it works better to move the ball fast up the field. Just good direct football.”

While never giving up that old Crossmaglen habit of winning.