Brilliant finish sees Crosserlough maintain perfect record

Winners hit 1-6 unanswered on the home stretch

Crosserlough 3-12

Ramor United 3-10

Paul Fitzpatrick at Crosskeys

Crosserlough came from eight points down to claim their fourth win in succession with a sensational finish in this topsy turvy SFC clash at Crosskeys.

The winners were four up early on, fell eight down but rallied to win by two in a dramatic encounter behind closed doors where the goals, and the hits, arrived early, late and frequently.

Top scorer was James Brady, who finished with 2-5 to his name. He opened the scoring with a point from play and almost got in for a goal moments later when Cathal Maguire picked him out with a long pass but Brady’s shot struck the post with the goalkeeper beaten.

At the other end, Patrick Lynch, who had a brilliant tussle with Mark Magee, opened Crosserlough’s account with a free after a foul on Shane McVeety and they edged in front with a super individual score from Darren Gaffney.

The Lough were sharper to the breaks around the middle at this stage and when James Smith won a kick-out, the ball was worked to Brandon Boylan who found the net with a good finish to make it 1-2 to 0-1.

From there to the break, though, Ramor completely dominated, despite losing Gareth Mannion to injury. A 40-metre free from Brady was followed by an excellent Cathal Maguire point. And when Simon Cadden’s 50-metre shot, wind-assisted, deceived Brian Malocca and ended up in the net, they were in the lead again.

A James Brady free on 18 minutes made it 1-4 to 1-2. Lynch responded with a free for Crosserlough but a neat point from Seanie Keogan, after good work from Ben Smith, put two between them again.

Brady looked dangerous every time the ball came near him and he kicked a lovely point in tight space and then conjured up a piece of magic when Ado Cole laid off and Brady sent a delicate chip into the top corner of the net for a marvellous goal.

The last kick of the half again fell to Brady and, again, was a well-taken point from play as Ramor eased into a 2-7 to 1-3 advantage at the interval.

A heavy shower during the break saw the 65 or so spectators on the hill behind the goals reaching for their umbrellas but the rain eased off as play resumed and Lynch kicked a fine free from 40 metres.

Ramor, though, hit back with a fisted point from Cathal Maguire and then stretched their lead to 2-9 to 1-4 when goalkeeper Liam Brady stroked over a 45 seven minutes into the half.

Crosserlough replied with a point from Shane McManus before, on 41 minutes, they landed their second goal of the game. Lynch used his pace and strength to race in from the left and squared the ball into the centre for James Smith, who was immense in the second half, to rise and palm past Liam Brady to make it 2-9 to 2-5.

The game had become very niggly at this stage. Eoin Somerville collided with Lynch as he laid off the pass for the goal and picked up a black card; moments later, Darren Gaffney followed him into the sin bin.

After a Ramor attack broke down, Crosserlough profited from a James Smith point but Ramor steadied the ship with an Enda Maguire point just before the water break and, on the resumption, a second goal for James Brady.

After a good run from Ben Smith, the ball was worked to Ado Cole who found Smith and the poacher made no mistake with a clinical finish to make it 3-10 to 2-6 with nine minutes of normal time remaining.

That should have been that but Crosserlough had other ideas and they summoned a fantastic finish, rattling off 1-6 unanswered to claim the win.

James Smith, with spectacular high fielding, and Lynch were very much to the fore in this spell as Crosserlough went for broke. A free from the outstanding Lynch made it a six-point game and then, after a big fetch from Smith, Brandon Boylan found Lynch, who beat his man and sent a powerful low shot to the net.

Sub Pierce Smith was denied a goal by an acrobatic Liam Brady save as the action heated up. Smith made amends with a fabulous point from the right wing to put two between them and they closed out the match in style with four points from Lynch, all from dead balls (three frees, one attacking mark), two of which came from long range.

Crosserlough’s win means they now meet Gowna in the quarter-final; Ramor will renew rivalries with Cavan Gaels, whom they beat in round three.