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Tenth on the trot for Rangers

Armagh SFC Final/ Crossmaglen 0-12 Dromintee 0-9 : It's 10 on the trot for Crossmaglen Rangers

Mon Oct 17 2005 - 01:00

Armagh SFC Final/ Crossmaglen 0-12 Dromintee 0-9: It's 10 on the trot for Crossmaglen Rangers. The perennial Armagh champions won yet another senior football crown yesterday and in doing so once again thwarted the ambitions of a Dromintee side whom they have now conquered in three of the last four finals.

The Rangers' decade of dominance has been enhanced by the emergence of a battery of new young guns.

Yesterday Michael McNamee, John Murtagh and Shane McNamee complemented the vast experience of Oisín McConville, the McEntee brothers, John and Tony, Francie Bellew and the rest of the tried and trusted brigade as Rangers brought their undefeated run into double figures in terms of years.

Dromintee's vibrant challenge was spearheaded by the four O'Rourke brothers, Aidan, Cathal, Martin and Micheál - but while their wholehearted endeavours proved inspirational, the team as a whole fell short of matching Rangers' overall power and finishing skills.

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McConville underlined the immense value of his accuracy particularly from placed balls landing five points, two of which came in the closing phase of the game and were instrumental in ending Dromintee's challenge.

The sides were level at 0-6 at half-time and deadlock still prevailed with seven points to go at 0-9 each.

But then that Rangers moved into overdrive with substitute Cathal Short, John Murtagh and the ubiquitous McConville hammering over the points that booked their team's passage yet again into the Ulster club championship.

For Dromintee, a third final defeat in four years by Rangers engendered frustration and disappointment in equal measures, and for their manager Brian McIver defeat signals the end of one campaign and the dawn of a new era as he prepared to actively pursue his new role as manager of Donegal.

CROSSMAGLEN RANGERS: P Hearty; B McKeown, F Bellew, G O'Neill; A Kernan (0-2, frees), T McEntee, S McNamee; J Donaldson, A Cunningham; J Murtagh (0-2), J McEntee, O McConville (0-5, four frees); M McNamee (0-2), S Kernan, M Aherne. Subs: C Short (0-1) for Aherne (33 mins).

DROMINTEE: P McEvoy; K Dyas, C McCoy, B McArdle; K Fearon, E Martin, B Shannon; D Kilgallon, A O'Rourke; Martin O'Rourke (0-1), Micheál O'Rourke (0-3), S O'Neill; O Gaughran, C O'Rourke (0-4, four frees), G O'Neill (0-1). Subs: S Carroll for Gaughran (53 mins), P Higgins for Fearon (57 mins).

Referee: D McDonnell (Whitecross).