Mighty McConville ponders shot at Cross three in-a-row

Crossmaglen were 14 points to the good with three minutes left when Óisín McConville was called ashore and the near-10,000 crowd rose in unison to applaud him off the field.

He left having contributed another half-dozen points in a game marred by far too much bad blood and bickering but saved by a collective performance to rank among Crossmaglen’s very best.

No-one was better than McConville.

Twelve months ago, the two-time All Star collected his sixth All-Ireland medal and the sweat had barely dried on his skin before microphones were being thrust in his direction in an effort to ascertain whether that was finally his lot.

It wasn’t much different in Cavan on Saturday evening.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “The boys asked me to reconsider last year and I thought that was going to be it. It’s coming to a stage where if you did come back you’d only be doing 10, 15 minutes in a game so we’ll see.

“I didn’t go back last year until August, so I’ll see how I feel in August.”

McConville is 36 now and called time on his inter-county career four years ago but is by no means near the stage where his input will be limited to cameo roles off the bench.

“I’d just like to mention one man and that is Óisín,” said Jamie Clarke who was once again overshadowed by his senior partner. “I’m not sure if that is his last day or not but he has taught me a lot over the years.”

McConville and his wife are expecting their first child in June so the decision may yet be made for him, but when he does go he will leave safe in the knowledge that the dressing-room is well-stocked with heirs apparent.

Ignore McConville and Paul Hearty’s greying beard and the squad who celebrated on the pitch afterwards could have passed for the Bessbrook schoolboys who claimed the All-Ireland Colleges B title two hours earlier on the same turf.

Take Francis Hanratty.

The cherubic midfielder-cum-forward hadn’t started for Rangers since the county final but was told he would line out at full-forward on Thursday. He responded with two goals inside the first 18 minutes to all but end the replay as a contest.

“They have been there and done it,” Hanratty said of McConville, Hearty and the other legends that have already hung up the boots. “They have every medal in the country. Now it’s our turn to leave a legacy.”

Garrycastle will be wincing at the scale of the defeat but theirs was the misfortune to meet Rangers at their best. The Leinster champions were kept scoreless for periods of 16 and 17 minutes, trailed by ten at half-time and 15 at the finish.

GAA Director General Pauric Duffy said afterwards that no team in the country would have lived with them on the day.

“Yeah, everything is possible,” said co-manager Tony McEntee. “We are a fresh team. Outside of Paul Hearty and Óisín, no-one is over 30 after that. We are a young, fresh team but they need a break now.

“After two years of competitive football and [nearly] a 1,000 days of non-stop championship football without defeat, is 365 more days possible?”

You wouldn’t put it past them.

Scorers for Crossmaglen: F Hanratty 2-1, Ó McConville 0-6 (2fs), S Kernan, A Kernan (2fs) 0-3 each, A Cunningham 0-2, J Hanratty, J Clarke, T Kernan, K Carragher 0-1 each.

Scorers for Garrycastle: D Dolan 0-4 (2fs), G Dolan 1-0, C Cosgrove 0-2fs, D O’Shaughnessy 0-1f.

Subs for Crossmaglen: M McNamee for F Hanratty 41, M Aherne for T Kernan 41, K Carragher for Cunningham for 50, G Carragher for P Kernan 52, K Brennan for McConville 61.

Subs for Garrycastle: A Fox for McHugh 24, A Browne for Duignan 26, C Cosgrove for Henson 30, J O’Shaughnnessy for E Mulvihill 50.

Referee: Marty Duffy (Sligo).