Smith key player as ‘lough win again

Crosserlough laid down yet another marker in this year’s SFC by winning their second round clash last Sunday evening pulling up.

The 2020 county champions may have won out by just two goals, but in boxing parlance, they won handsomely on points. Ramor were flattered by their margin of defeat with their woes between the half-back line and Crosserlough’s goal being a constant reminder of the team’s fall from grace as a major attacking threat in the last couple of seasons.

Ramor simply hadn’t the same artillery at their disposal going into enemy territory and while they stuck manfully at their game of catch-up, the Kilnaleck-based boys were never out of their comfort zone at any stage of the match.

Ado Cole opened the scoring but that was the only time the raging hot underdogs led in a game that never rose above the ordinary despite the pleasant playing conditions.

The football was pretty average all through but, ultimately, the major talking point on the night was arguably a serious injury suffered by Ramor’s Conor Bradley in the 4th minute which saw him stretchered off.

Amidst the disappointment of young Bradley’s ill-luck, erstwhile countyman James Smith starred over the hour-plus (at midfield and full-forward) and in the 14th minute he paved the way for his side’s march to the winner’s enclosure by powerfully rifling the ball to the net after taking a pass from the also influential Dara McVeety.

Although keeper Liam Brady arrowed over a fine free in the 16th minute to make it 0-2 to 1-1, the onset of a shower of rain in the 22nd minute heralded a run of form by the black and ambers which left Ramor labouring in their wake.

In the 23rd minute, goal scorer Smith turned supplier and fed late call-up Matthew Costello but his left footed drive smacked off the Ramor post to United’s relief.

At the other end of the field, Ramor’s frontmen were having to survive on crumbs of possession and Jack Brady’s wide in the 26th minute was his team’s first of the night.

Brady was spot on with his free (29) which cut the ‘lough’s lead to a manageable four points (1-5 to 0-4) but James Smith added to his tour de force display by propelling a long range effort between the Ramor posts in the 32nd minute.

Ramor trailed by 0-5 to 1-7 at the interval but the prospect of having the elements at their backs on the restart probably kindled hopes of a comeback among their faithful.

However, the words game, set and match could almost be heard ricocheting around the ground in the 35th minute when Crosserlough powered through the middle before Peter Smith offloaded the ball to Patrick Lynch who had the simplest of tasks of tapping the ball to the net from point blank range which left Crosserlough leading by 2-8 to 0-6.

From there to the finale, an air of inevitability hovered over proceedings with only the disappearance of the passing rain showers providing any sort of solace to the neutral punter as the intensity of the contest noticeably dipped.

Ramor stand-out Cathal Maguire pulled a point (40) back for United but even at that juncture it was obvious that only the concession of at least a brace of goals would rescue the Virginia-based side from going under.

Ramor were honest, hard working and tireless to the death, notching six of the final eight scores in the last 18 minutes of play and they created a good goal chance in the 58th minute but the in-rushing Jack Brady just failed to get on the end of a ball palmed across the face of Liam Brady’s square by Cathal Maguire.

With Dara McVeety hoovering up a lot of high deliveries at the back for the leaders, Ramor just couldn’t unearth the guile or invention to manufacture the goals they needed to salvage something from the tie.

Ramor plugged away but a splendid diving block by Cian Boylan to prevent Aaron Tynan’s shot from finding the net seconds from the long whistle fairly summed up the respective fortunes of the combatants.

Crosserlough:

Thomas Byrd; John Cooke, Patrick O’Reilly, Fionn Lovett; Peter Smith, Cian Boylan, Dara McVeety; James Smith (1-3), Matthew Costello; Shane McManus (0-1), Brandon Boylan (0-1), Darren Gaffney; Adrian Smith, Emmett Boylan (0-3), P Lynch (1-3, 3f).

Subs; Oran Rehill for M Costello; Ryan Stuart for S McManus; Harry Boylan for A Smith; David Shalvey (0-1) for D Gaffney; Pierce Smith (0-1, f) for F Lovett.

Ramor Utd:

Liam Brady (0-2, 2f); Lorcan Lynch, Damien Barkey, Adam O’Connell; Mark Magee, Nathan Levy-Valensi; Enda Maguire, Gareth Mannion (0-1); Cathal Maguire (0-1), Jack Brady (0-4, 3f), James Bradley (0-2, 1f); Conor Bradley, Ado Cole (0-3, 1f), Oliver McCrystal.

Subs; Simon Cadden for C Bradley (inj); Brian O’Connell for O McCrystal; Eoin Somerville for N Levy-Valensi; Aaron Tynan for L Lynch.