Carrickcruppen 1-17 Crossmaglen 2-20
Crossmaglen are through to the Senior Championship semi-finals after seeing off Carrickcruppen by six-points. The Rangers were pushed all the way, but are deserving of their last four place.
They welcomed Oisin O’Neill back into the starting team while Odhran Kieran and Callum Cumiskey made first championship appearances. For Cruppen, Blaine Hughes put in a stunning man of the match display.
Jack Cunningham and Shea Loughran swapped scores with Ronan Fitzpatrick inside the opening four minutes. Cruppen’s two scorers then combined for the game’s first goal as Loughran found Cunningham with a long ball and he beat the Cross keeper from close range.
County teammates Rian O’Neill and sweeper keeper Hughes both kicked two-point frees from the deck. Aaron O’Neill, played through by his older cousin Cian McConville, then bagged a major that tied things.
Both teams could have had another goal apiece, with Hughes saving from Fitzpatrick while Loughran crashed his effort off the crossbar. In between times, Tiarnan O’Hare and Eoin Woods split the posts, as did Oisin O’Neill, in his first championship appearance of 2025.
Conor Sloan (free) and McConville cancelled each other out while the impressive Loughran increased his personal tally. Oisin O’Neill (2), McConville and Rian O’Neill swooped over further scores as the Rangers led by two at half time, 1-10 to 1-8.
Crossmaglen continued their scoring spree after the turnaround, claiming 1-5 inside the first ten minutes. Darron McDonnell fired home the goal while Fitzpatrick (two-pointer), Rian O’Neill (45), McConville (free) and Aaron O’Neill also split the posts.
Carrickcruppen kept in touch with huge two huge two-pointers from Adam Matthews and Hughes (free). McConville (free) pointed in between times while Hughes drove forward to fist over his fifth of the game.
Stephen Morris and Donal Coffey scored, either side of McDonnell picking up a black card for the final ten minutes. Hughes and Rian O’Neill hit further two-point frees while Fitzpatrick and Sean Watters raised white flags at the end of the game.