Crossmaglen come from five points down to see off Granemore away from home

Crossmaglen Rangers battled back from five points down to win by five on a blustery Friday evening away to Granemore.

The result keeps them joint-top of the Division 1A table, alongside last year’s league winners Clann Eireann.

Things didn’t go to plan for Crossmaglen in the first half, and playing against the breeze, they found themselves 2-0 to 0-1 down.

Odhran Doyle got Granemore’s first goal with a chipped effort into the far corner, before Eoghan O’Neill drilled a penalty into the roof of the net, after Alan Farrelly had fisted over for Cross.

However, the claimed the last two scores of the half via Odhran Kieran and Ronan Fitzpatrick frees, and went in at the break trailing by just three points.

With the wind advantage in the second half, Anthony Cunningham’s side continued to build momentum and they pressed high and aggressively forcing turnover after turnover.

Cross went a point ahead, as they outscored Granemore 0-4 to 0-1 at the beginning of the second half, with a Fitzpatrick point from 50 metres out the pick of the bunch.

Both Rico Kelly and Aaron O’Neill finished scoreless, but they had a hand in everything which Crossmaglen did in this period and it was O’Neill who set up James Teelan for the key score of the match with 15 minutes to go. His quick free put Teelan in behind the Granemore defence and the corner-forward blasted his shot into the roof of the net to give Cross a four-point advantage.

From there, Cross managed to quell any of Granemore’s potential goal opportunities, and a Fitzpatrick free put the icing on the cake at the death.

Crossmaglen are back in action next Friday night, as they host local rivals Dromintee in round 11 of the Armagh Senior Football League Division 1A.

MATCH STATS

Granemore scorers: Eoghan O’Neill (1-1, 1pen, 1f); Odhran Doyle (1-0); Padraig Doyle (0-1).

Crossmaglen scorers: James Teelan (1-1); Ronan Fitzpatrick (0-3, 2f); Odhran Kieran (0-3, 3f); Harry Cumiksey (0-1, 1m); Alan Farrelly (0-1); Stephen Morris (0-1).

Referee: Conor Byrne.