AIB Ulster Club Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final
Clontibret 0-10 Crossmaglen 0-9
Clontibret booked their place in the Ulster Club SFC semi-finals with a hard-earned win over Crossmaglen in very difficult conditions at the Athletic Grounds, Armagh last Saturday evening.
Clontibret’s win was built around a very strong first-half performance, which saw them twice build up a five-point lead. The Rangers eventually battled back to within the minimum deep into added time, but Clontibret held on set up next Saturday’s meeting with Donegal champions Naomh Cónaill in the last four.
Six points from Conor McManus proved crucial for Clontibret, who were solid in defence as they kept another clean sheet. Cross had averaged an impressive 22 points per game in retaining the Armagh SFC, but their scoring return dropped here on a night when they tallied 13 wides.
Clontibret: Darren McDonnell; C Doyle, C Boyle, L Savage; J Gormley, D Mone, C Greenan; F Hughes, K Lavelle; B Greenan (Capt.), M P O’Dowd (0-2), D Savage; P Boyle (0-2), V Corey, C McManus (0-6, 5f).
Subs: D Hughes for P Boyle (47 mins), K Greenan for Hughes (59), E McGuigan for D Savage (60 + 2).
Crossmaglen: T McConville; C Crowley, R Kelly, P Hughes (0-1); A Kernan (Capt., 0-1f), C Cumiskey, P McKeown; S Morris, A Farrelly; J Hanratty, O O’Neill (0-2, 1f), C O’Connor; C McConville, R O’Neill (0-3, 2f), K Carragher (0-1).
Subs: T Kernan (0-1) for Hanratty, P Stuttard for McKeown (both H-T), M Boyce for Farrelly (43), J McKeever for O’Connor (50).
Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone).
AIB Ulster Club Junior Football Championship Championship Semi-Final
Blackhill 1-14 Killinkere 2-9 (AET)
Blackhill are through to their second Ulster Club JFC Final in four years after a dramatic encounter against Killinkere that went all the way to extra-time amid torrential rain in Armagh last Saturday evening. Blackhill wasted a series of chances, but after playing catch-up for long spells, they eventually got level through a late goal that gave them the impetus to push on during extra-time, hitting the only three points of the final ten minutes to eventually run out worthy winners.
With Michael Geehan absent and their next highest scorer Tommy Geehan unable to get off the mark, it was left to Philip Donnelly and Ciarán Courtney to tally ten points between them for a gutsy Blackhill side to stun their Cavan opponents. Blackhill will face Buncrana (Donegal) in the decider in Omagh next Saturday, prior to Clontibret v Naomh Cónaill.
Blackhill: M Shevlin; Shane Courtney, D Courtney, R Courtney; A Courtney, T Courtney (0-1), J Daly (0-1); C Courtney (0-3), D Daly (0-2f); G McArdle, T Geehan, P Finnegan; H Byrne (Capt., 1-0), P Donnelly (0-7, 1f), J Finnegan.
Subs: A Burns for McArdle (36 mins), Stephen Courtney for P Finnegan (49).
Extra-time subs: G McArdle for J Finnegan (black card).
Killinkere: B Clarke; E Traynor, L Fay Cooper (Capt.), M Farrelly Jnr.; G Denning (0-1), N McCabe, L McCabe (1-0); K McCabe, J McMahon; D Smith (0-2f), J Smith (0-1), C Cusack; P McCabe (0-2, 1f), E Fitzsimons (0-3, 1f), P Brady (1-0).
Subs: C Sexton for Cusack (41), C Flynn for J Smith (57), A Brady for McMahon (black card, 60 + 1).
Extra-time subs: J Smith for Flynn (16).
Referee: D O’Hare (Down).
By cshalvey Sun 10th Nov
