Crossmaglen secure All-Ireland semi-final spot

Neasden Gaels (London) 0-5 Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh) 1-8

Crossmaglen put a lacklustre first half performance behind them as they overcame London side Neasden Gaels in today's AIB All-Ireland Club SFC quarter-final in Ruislip.

However, they will certainly need to improve for their semi-final on February 26, as they await the winners of the Leinster Championship.

Cross had the backing of a significant breeze in the opening half, but the heavy underfoot conditions made it a hard slog for both sides.

Neasden hit the front when Peadar Friel landed a sixth minute free, before the visitors replied through key men Aaron Kernan and Oisin McConville.

David Carthy levelled the sides and it was Neasden who had the better of proceedings in the first 15 minutes, although they could not add to their total.

Rangers responded with three points, one of them from the impressive Aaron Kernan who burst forward from his defensive station.

Full-back Paul Kernan was on his toes to cut out a ball as Friel loomed for a goal. Cross moved Jamie Clarke out to half-forward and he picked up some decent ball.

Carthy's free, on the resumption, was cancelled out by two points from McConville who gradually increased his influence.

There was very little to separate the sides and Barry Comer split the posts to leave Neasden just two points adrift, with less than 10 minutes remaining.

However, McConville's fifth point of the afternoon - he scored three from frees - and an injury-time goal from Francis Hanratty put the game beyond the underdogs' reach.

The Ulster champions saved the best for last as they worked the ball through a number of hands, from defence to attack, before Hanratty dodged into space and slotted the ball to the net.