If anyone had any doubts about how much Castlebar Mitchels want to be bringing the Andy Merrgian Cup to Castlebar in March, they got their answer in Breffni Park on Saturday night. Mitchels are a team packed full of talented footballers from one end of the field to the other, but on Saturday night heart, guts, fight and determination were as much responsible for their one point win over Crossmaglen Rangers as any amount of talent.
Midway through the first half, they had taken a couple of standing eight counts from the referee already and were just one punch from going down and out of the competition. At times the football that Crossmaglen were playing was simply breathtaking with Jamie Clarke giving Tom Cunniffe a torrid time in the full back line and Oisín Gill and John Hanratty lording the middle third of the field. But Mitchels hung on in there and landed their own few jabs to let Crossmaglen know they weren’t going to go down to easy.
The Ulster champions raced into an early 0-3 to 0-0 lead as early as the third minutes with Stephen Kernan, Clarke and Tony Kernan all finding their target. Clarke had a goal chance in the fourth minute when he got in behind Cunniffe but he dragged his shot wide of the post.
Neil Douglas kicked the first of half a dozen points from frees he would amount over the 60 minutes in the sixth minute to get the Mitchels ball rolling. O’Neill responded for the Armagh men with a well taken score and Paddy Durcan cut the gap back to two points 12 minutes in. Durcan’s score came after Douglas miscued a free that dropped short and was recycled by Danny Kriby before it worked it’s way back to Durcan.
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Callum Cummiskey fired over Crossmaglen’s fifth point with a brilliant score on a wrap around run 17 miuntes in, a minute later Clarke fired over another wonderful point when he collected a quick free played into the danger area before sweeping it over the blackspot. John Murtagh pushes Cross’ lead out of five points not long after and Mitchels were rocking.
A Douglas free stemmed the tide a few minutes later, but the gap was soon back out to five points thanks to another Clarke point after he was picked out by Aaron Kernan. Douglas then had a goal chance but his effort was to close to Paul Hearty who parried it away to safety.
Mitchels were just about to hit a purple patch that extended either side of the half time break. Douglas pointed another free and the outstanding Paddy Durcan launched over his second point of the day from well out the park. Just before the break a game changing moment happened. A long ball was pumped into the Castlebar danger area, Rory Byrne contested but couldn’t win the ball it dropped to John Murtagh who rounded Byrne and shot for goal. Thankfully for Mitchels Ray O’Malley was back on the line and he pulled off a goal line block to keep the ball out of the net and send Mitchels in trailing by just three points at the break.
Castlebar came out of the blocks at lightning speed after the restart and reeled off three points on the bounce inside the opening three minutes. Durcan showed his leadership with a great score to get things going right from the throw in, then Neil Lydon slung over one and Danny Kirby completed the comeback not long after with a huge score from 45 meters out that he hit as he slipped under pressure.
Crossmaglen haven’t won as many All Ireland titles as they have by backing away from a fight and they took it straight back to Mitchels and Stephen Kernan edged his side back in front after seven minutes. Douglas tied it up at 0-9 to 0-9 on 41 minutes and two minutes later O’Neill put Crossmaglen back into a slender lead as the tension grew on and off the field.
With nine minutes to go Mitchels went into the lead for the first time in the game when a great run by sub Cian Costello saw him pulled to the ground and Douglas did the necessary from the placed ball. Four minutes from time Aaron Kernan held his nerve to slot over a free and level the game up once more.
But two minutes from time the decisive score arrived. Mitchels got a free out on the stand side, Cian Costello took it quickly picking out Danny Kirby, under serious pressure Kirby was able to off load to Barry Moran who was breaking at speed and Moran got his shot off and stuck it high and over the bar to set off wild celebrations amongst the Mitchels supporters.
There was still time for plenty of drama in injury time as a number of scuffles broke out around the sideline, but Mitchels held their nerve and showed their heart for a fight to book their place in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day.
Scores
Castlebar Mitchels: N Douglas (0-6f ), B Moran (0-2 ), N Lydon (0-1 ), E O'Reilly (0-1 )
Crossmaglen Rangers: J Clarke (0-4 ), ,O O'Neill (0-2, 1f ), S Kernan (0-2 ), T Kernan (0-2f ), A Kernan (0-1f ), C Cumiskey (0-1 )
Castlebar Mitchels: R Byrne, T Cunniffe, A Feeney, D Newcombe, P Durkan, E O'Reilly, R O'Malley, G McDonagh, B Moran, S Hopkins, N Lydon, S Keane, N Douglas, R Feeney, D Kirby. Subs: F Durkan for Hopkins (40 mins ), C Costello for Lydon (45 mins ), J Durkan for S Keane (52 mins ), A Walsh for R Feeney (55 mins ), N Lydon for Douglas (BC )
Crossmaglen Rangers: P Hearty, P Hughes, A Rushe, P McKeown, A Kernan, M Aherne, J Morgan, J Hanratty, O O'Neill, M McNamee, S Kernan, T Kernan, J Clarke, K Carragher, C Cumiskey. Subs: J Murtagh for Carragher (7 mins ), P Stuttard for McNamee (40 mins ), R Kelly for Murtagh (58 mins ), D McKenna for Stuttard (60 mins )
Ref: E Kinsella (Laois )
