CROSSMAGLEN footballers are used to having people peering down on them. Usually, it’s British soldiers from the watchtowers above Plunkett Park in the south Armagh Town.
Today, Cross people insist it will be the folk of times past who overcame all kinds of adversity to keep football alive in south Armagh’s citadel.
Team selector Ollie McEntee says the AIB AllIreland Club Football final against Connacht Champions’ Knockmore (3.30) is as much for the faithful Cross departed as the kids currently running round in black and amber jerseys.
Then there’s the effect the run has had on so many of Cross’ senior citizens.
“When we beat Laune, It was like that scene in the Quiet Man when the old fellow is on his death bed getting the last rites.
“When he hears about the fight, he jumps up, pulls on his trousers and runs to see all the commotion,” laughs Ollie.
But is all this commotion going to continue for some time yet or will Cross trek home tonight with the same kind of all-consuming disappointment Dunloy hurlers have faced over the last two years?
As ever, the key to today’s outcome will be the middle third of the field exchanges which invariably dictate the outcome of Gaelic Football matches.
More specifically, the match could hinge on Knockmore midfielder Kevin Staunton’s contribution.
Former Mayo star Staunton, who will be partnered by Declan Dempsey, produced a magnificent display of fielding and foraging against Eire Og three weeks ago.
But there must be grave doubts whether he will be given similar latitude against the Cross centrefield trio of Anthony Cunningham, John McEntee and Colm O’Neill.
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Colleges’ GAA: Today’s Bank of Ireland MacRory Cup final between the St Pat’s of Dungannon and Armagh at Casement Park (2pm) will be very much a showcase for Tyrone underage football.
Hardly surprisingly, all 15 of the starting Dungannon schoolboys play their football with Tyrone clubs. These include star players Martin Early, Brian McGuigan and skipper Paul McGurk.
Intriguingly however, four of the Armagh line-up are also Tyrone natives. The Moy club supplies Armagh goalkeeper Ryan Kelly and attacking half-back Philip Jordan while Cormac McAnallen (Eglish) and Paul Holmes hail from the Red Hand county.
Holmes’ brother Colin captained St Pat’s Armagh in the MacRory decider against Maghera three years ago.
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RICHARD Gough last night saluted his Rangers team-mates after victory in the Old Firm derby he labelled the “arguably the biggest match in the club’s history”.
Brian Laudrup’s 44th minute winner settled a powderkeg Parkhead fixture and pushed Rangers eight points clear of Celtic with six games left.
Rangers boss Walter Smith declined to celebrate the ninth successive championship as Celtic boss Tommy Burns refused to throw in the towel.
The fall-out from the fixture will rumble on with Mark Hateley of Rangers and Celtic’s Malky Mackay both red-carded and eight other players booked by referee Hugh Dallas.
Now the Scottish Football Association are certain to launch a top level probe into the fixture with angry scenes at the final whistle involving players from both sides.
Referee Dallas also called Celtic’s Paolo Di Canio, one of those yellow-carded, to his room after the match but there was no second booking or a red-card issued, according to Burns.
But Di Canio could be in further trouble once the report from Dallas drops at Scottish Football Association offices this week.
Rangers are also set to be reported to the SFA for going into a ‘huddle’ such as Celtic adopt before every game after the final whistle.
Hateley, 35, was red-carded for the second time at Celtic Park on his debut for Rangers second time around. He will be banned for next Saturday’s Ibrox game with Kilmarnock as Mackay misses Celtic’s visit to Dunfermline.
Celtic boss Burns said: "The first goal was always going to be vital today and unfortunately we conceded it.
"My players ran themselves into the ground but sometimes you need more than that. Di Canio was the only one giving us quality.
"I am not conceding anything. There are six games left and we want as many points as possible and we have a Cup semi-final to think about too."
