Crossmaglen stick to principles

Crossmaglen (Armagh) 3-11 St Eunan’s (Donegal) 1-7

Forget that it is November, forget the sodden pitches and the inclement conditions, Armagh’s torch-holders notched up yet another victory in the provincial championship by dint of their commitment to kicking the ball. Not for them the massed defensive ranks that are now all the range up and down the land. The three goals the reigning All-Ireland champions claimed yesterday were efforts to make the most perfectionist of traditionalists grin with pleasure.

“Brendan Devenney mentioned how this isn’t the type of football that they wanted to play,” said Crossmaglen manager Tony McEntee, “and that they had to adjust to it because everyone else in Donegal played it and therein is the problem. People are happy to follow what the status quo is or the vast majority do.