McGinley tips Cross to win another All-Ireland

Enda McGinley has backed All-Ireland club champions Crossmaglen to make it three in a row.

The Armagh giants turned on the power in the second half to crush McGinley’s Errigal Ciaran side and reach yet another Ulster final, and the former Tyrone star expects them to go all the way.

Surprise packets Kilcoo will bid to create an upset in the provincial decider next month, after shocking St Gall’s in the other semi-final.

“Cross are going to be very hard to stop,” said McGinley. “It’s a fantastic result for Kilcoo, to have beaten St Gall’s, and they have produced a massive performance there.

“They’ll certainly not be short on confidence coming in against Crossmaglen, but once again, Cross have the vast experience, and they’re superb, as we found out, at closing out games.

“It’s an Ulster final, and Kilcoo will give it the full shot, but the bookies will have Cross favourites for it.”

He admitted that Errigal were unable to withstand the sheer intensity that the Rangers brought to the contest in the second half. After trailing by a point at half-time, Tony McEntee’s side put on the squeeze in the third quarter, regained the lead, held their opponents scoreless for 24 minutes, and never looked like losing.

“That third quarter they really did put the squeeze on, and we struggled to cope with the pressure.

“That was really it, they were too far away and we were chasing it after that. Whenever you’re chasing it you’re always attempting things which maybe weren’t really on.”

* Crossmaglen have won the toss to decide the venue for the Ulster final and it will be staged at the home of Armagh football, the Athletic Grounds, on Sunday December 2.