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25 November 1999 Edition

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Sportsview

Crossmaglen conquer Ulster, again!



By Dan O'Neill

     
Crossmaglen Rangers will now be looking to capture the All-Ireland club championship for the third time in four years. Such a feat would mark Joe Kernan's side as one of the best club sides in the history of the game
``People say we're on a downward spiral - we're on no downward spiral,'' was Joe Kernan's warning to those sides who harbour ambitions to take the All-Ireland crown from Crossmaglen come next March.

His side confounded the critics, who talked of the Crossmaglen team being `burnt out' in the run up to Sunday's Ulster Club football final. After five years at the top, there was plenty of hunger still left in the bellies of Kernan's side as they fought back to steal the game off Enniskillen Gaels with a late point at the finish by John McEntee. He'll be walking on water in that part of the country as the same man got the late winner on St. Patrick's Day at Croke Park in last season's All-Ireland victory over Ballina.

Despite Gavin Cumiskey's dismissal two minutes before the break, Cross' kept their cool and held off the Fermanagh champions in the second half with another typical spirited performance.

The Gaels will be gutted as they will feel they kicked themselves out of the game after shooting 13 wides. They did themselves no favours either by playing an ineffective short-passing game.

Crossmaglen's greater experience was a key factor in the second half as they took over at midfield, which up until then had been dominated by Paul Brewster of Enniskillen. Despite this, the Armagh champions were never ahead in the second half until the last minute of the game. Their `infamous' fighting spirit carried them through to give them another Ulster title.

Kernan's side will now be looking to capture the All-Ireland club championship for the third time in four years. Such a feat would mark Crossmaglen as one of the best club sides in the history of the game - all this success achieved under the shadow of the British Army/RUC base which has been a source of great hardship for the club for 25 years.

Clare side Doonbeg, the current Munster champions, or either UCC or Rathgormack, who drew in the second Munster semi-final at the weekend, will be Crossmaglen's next opponents.

Elsewhere, Na Fianna reached the Leinster final with an easy win over Portlaoise. The Dublin side look like the biggest threat to Crossmaglen's crown and have many classy players. They are captained by Mick Galvin and have Dessie Farrell in attack. Crossmaglen aren't the only Armagh interest left in the club championship as two Orchard county stars, Kieran McGeeney and Des Mackin, play their football with Na Fianna.

In the other Leinster semi, Kildare champions Sarsfields were too strong for Killanerin of Wexford. Sarsfields also boast some good players in the likes of Dermott Earley and Niall Buckley and should make the Leinster final tight.

In Connacht, Crossmolin and Roscommon Gaels will have to meet again in the decider after playing out a draw at Hyde Park.


McCarthy taking the `Mick'



It was same old story for Mick McCarthy as the Irish team's chances of qualification for a major tournament failed at the last hurdle. Unfortunately, last Wednesday night's bitter disappointment in Bursa is nothing new for the Irish boss and has been all too common during his tenure as manager. Just as in the 1998 World Cup play-off qualifier against Belgium, the damage was done in the first game at Lansdowne Road, when Ireland conceded their lead late in the game. More importantly, they gave Turkey a valuable away goal which meant they had to score in Bursa. And without the suspended Robbie Keane, this was always going to prove very difficult.

McCarthy, in a press conference after the Turkey game commented, with a hint of self-pity, that when he got back to Dublin he was going to change his name by deed poll to `lucky'.

His assertion that Ireland's failure to qualify for Euro 2000 was merely down to a lack of Irish luck is highly questionable to say the least. In all honesty, bad tactics on his part and a mediocre pool of players were Ireland's downfall.

Even he will concede that the selections for the game against Croatia were dubious. We were lucky only to lose 1-0 to Suker's 94th minute winner as the Croats dominated the game from start to finish. McCarthy's option of relegating Robbie Keane and Niall Quinn to the bench and playing Cascarino up front on his own against a world-class side was madness. This only three days after a magnificent display against Yugoslavia at Lansdowne Road.

Were they unlucky also to concede that late equaliser in Macedonia that cost automatic qualification to the finals? If we're honest we'll say they didn't deserve a win. The second half performance was very negative and the only surprise was that Macedonia didn't score earlier. This gamble to play for the 1-0 win and to sit back and soak up all the pressure may have worked in the days of Paul McGrath, David O'Leary, Kevin Moran and even of Mick himself at the back, but with the present bunch of defenders this was another bad idea.

Against Turkey they were outplayed over the two legs, especially in the second leg. Only for Dean Kiely in goal the score would have been four or five-nil. The self-inflicted suspension of Robbie Keane was a blow but would he really have made a difference in the second tie? I don't think so.

The European campaign has been a story of gambles, which have unfortunately, in most cases not paid off. Nevertheless, it was an achievement that Ireland finished second in a highly competitive qualifying group. When the draw was made for the qualifiers, a runners up place looked likely, and the fact that we are all bitterly disappointed at not going to Holland next summer shows that Mick McCarthy must have done at least something right.

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