Ulster club SFC: Omagh claim Cross' scalp

November 02, 2014

Omagh's Jason McAnulla and Crossmaglen's Paul Hughes
©INPHO

Omagh St. Enda's (Tyrone) 2-8
Crossmaglen (Armagh) 1-9

Omagh St. Enda's pulled off a famous victory against 13-man Crossmaglen Rangers in today's Ulster club SFC quarter-final at Healy Park.

The home side came from six points down at half-time to beat the 10-times Ulster champions, who were one of the All-Ireland favourites. The Armagh kingpins' misery was compounded by red cards for Callum Comiskey and Tony Kernan in a dramatic second half.

Cross' looked to be on course for their expected victory when points from Jamie Clarke, Tony Kernan and Kyle Brennan eased them into an early 0-3 to 0-0 lead. But Ronan O'Neill's seventh-minute goal briefly brought Omagh back into it before the visitors regained the initiative with a series of points and a Padraig Stuttard goal to lead by 1-8 to 1-2 at the break.

Remarkably, the charges of Oisin McConville and John McEntee were restricted to just a single point after the restart as the hosts came roaring back.

The wheels started to come off the wagons for Cross' when Comiskey was dismissed on a black card (he had earlier picked up a yellow). Barry Tierney's palmed goal left the minimum in it before Kernan received his marching orders for a off-the-ball incident.

Conan Grogan levelled before Ronan O'Neill landed two late points to give the O'Neill Cup holders the win.

Omagh St. Enda's - R Clarke; H Gallagher, Justin McMahon, S Mullan; C McLaughlin, B Tierney (1-0), C McMahon; Joe McMahon, C Grugan (0-2, 1f); A Grugan, J McAnulla (0-1), C McCarron; C O'Donnell (0-1), R O'Neill (1-4, 0-1f), C Meyler. Subs: C O'Neill for C McCarron, J Colton for C McMahon, D Kerr for C McLaughlin.

Crossmaglen - P Hearty; S Finnegan, J Morgan, P Hughes; P Stuttard (1-0), P McKeown, M Aherne (0-1); J Hanratty, R Kelly; T Kernan (0-3f), J Clarke (0-2, 1f), M McNamee; K Carragher, C Cumiskey, K Brennan (0-2). Subs: J Murtagh (0-1) for K Carragher, D McKenna for K Brennan, A Kernan for S Finnegan, A Cunningham for J Hanratty.

Referee - C Branagan.


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