Crossmaglen tear Clan na Gael apart in astonishing 29-point win

Crossmaglen Rangers played a brand of football out of this world today, as they scored 5-27 and defeated Clan na Gael by 29 points at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.

There aren’t enough superlatives to describe Crossmaglen’s first half performance. Cross are a team littered with superstars: Oisin, Rian and Aaron O’Neill, Cian McConville and Aaron Haughey and each of those players put in 10 out of 10 displays.

They dominated midfield, kicked an abundance of two-pointers and ripped through the Clan na Gael defence time and again to lead 4-16 to 0-7 at the interval.

They came flying out of the traps, with a Chris Crowley two-pointer. Stefan Campbell replied for Clans, but Cross hit two more two-pointers from Cian McConville and Oisin O’Neill, before Aaron O’Neill notched a one-pointer and their first goal of the day.

Ross Marsden scored for Clans, but Cross continued to dominate, with three two-pointers in quick succession from Oisin O’Neill, Pearse Blessing and Rian O’Neill, before a Cian McConville goal had them 2-13 to 0-2 ahead after just 13 minutes.

Stefan Campbell was next on the board, before Oisin O’Neill hit another two-pointer. Jack Lavery and James Austin scored for Clans, but on 21 minutes Cross had a third goal when Aaron O’Neill found Rian, he turned and played McConville and he finished into the back of the net.

Rian O’Neill followed that up with a point, and whilst Clans hit the next two points via Austin and Callum O’Neill, but Cross grabbed the last score of the half – another goal – when Haughey fielded a kick-out, fed Rian O’Neill, he worked it to Aaron, and he found the net. put Cross 21 points to-the-good at half-time.

Marsden opened the second half’s scoring, but Cross picked up from where they left off by rattling off seven points on the spin. Cian McConville and Rian O’Neill each got two during that run, with Keelan McEntee, Odhran Caraher and Aaron O’Neill also in on the act.

Campbell scored a two pointer for Clans, but Dara O’Callaghan added to Cross’ lead before Haughey scored their fifth goal of the day. Their next score of the day came from an Oisin O’Neill free – remarkably their first score of the day not from play.

Oisin O’Neill then got the final score to put the icing on the cake of an incredible day’s work for his team.

MATCH STATS

Clan na Gael: Ryan Conway; Jack Lavery (0-1), Shea McCann, Aaron McCreanor; Niall Loney, Jamie Brady, Michael McConville; Callum O’Neill (0-1), Shane McPartlan; Ross Marsden (0-1), Matthew Lennon, Callum McCrory; Niall Henderson, Stefan Campbell (0-6, 1tp, 1tpf), Michael Toland.

Subs: James Austin (0-2) for O’Neill (temp, 16-20), Austin for McPartlan (20), Calvin McConville for McCreanor (26), Adam Henderson for N Loney (HT), Tom Lavery for Austin (34), Malachi Ward for M Toland (47), James French for Marsden (60).

Crossmaglen: Miceal Murray; Liam Blessing, Caolan Dillon, Chris Crowley (0-2, 1tp); Odhran Caraher (0-1), Callum Cumiskey, Eugene McEntee; Stephen Morris, Pearse Blessing (0-2, 1tp); Aaron Haughey (1-0), Oisin O’Neill (0-8, 3tp, 1f), Ryan Martin; Cian McConville (2-4, 1tp), Aaron O’Neill (2-2), Rian O’Neill (0-5, 1tp).

Subs: Keelan McEntee (0-1) for L Blessing (HT), Dara O’Callaghan (0-1) for Caraher (50), Johnny Murtagh for R O’Neill (52), Aodhan O’Callaghan for P Blessing (56), Darron McDonnell for C Cumiskey (57), Finn Cumiskey (0-1) for Dillon (59).

Referee: Neil McGeown.