Sport

Back in the day: July 13 1997: Kieran McGeeney the main man for Mullaghbawn

Armagh captain Kieran McGeeney encouraging his team-mates against Fermanagh
Armagh captain Kieran McGeeney encouraging his team-mates against Fermanagh Armagh captain Kieran McGeeney encouraging his team-mates against Fermanagh

EIGHTEEN wides, many lamentable, took the shine off Mullaghbawn’s rather unimpressive win over third division side Keady at Crossmaglen last night.

Obviously struggling to rediscover the form which had them crowned 1995 Ulster kingpins, the south Armagh men were anything but impressive in front of goals.

Keady gave it all they had.

Veteran Eamon McKee who scored three of their first-half points saw his accuracy forsake him in the second, missing a number of pressure frees.

County man Kieran McGeeney had an outstanding game for Mullaghbawn setting up a sizeable proportion of their attacking moves, though he too was guilty of some inexcusable misses.

Keady stayed with their more elite opponents right through the first half but surprisingly not a forward got on the score sheet.

Wing back Brian Kavanagh gave them a first minute lead and Kieran McGeeney landed a superb equaliser four minutes later.

Eamon McKee cut Keady’s 0-5 to 1-6 interval deficit by a point on the restart but they were only to add two more, substitute Paul McCormack getting both.

Mullaghbawn controlled most of the second half but they only could increase their tally by four scores, Fergal McDonnell getting three.

The Keady goalkeeper pulled off an excellent save from Neil Smyth half way through the half.

A goal at this juncture would have ended the contest.

Mullaghbawn: B Tierney, G Larkin, C Byrne, S McDonnell, E McNulty, C McParland, R McDonnell, S Collins (0-1), J McNulty, P McNulty (0-1), K McGeeney (0-2), F McDonnell (0-4), D Crawley (0-1), N Smyth, P McGeeney (1-0).

Sub: N McParland (0-2) for Crawley (42 mins).

Keady: V Nugent, A Gilmartin, M McKee, M Fox, P O’Hara, S Hughes, B Kavanagh, J Toal, E McKee (0-4), F Fullerton, C McKee, D Short, G Enright, G Mone, L Conway. Sub: P McCormack (0-2) for Conway (36 mins).

Ref: Jimmy McKee (Pearse Og)

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IT was supposed to be boxing’s breath of fresh air wafting down from the snow-capped mountains of Lake Tahoe.

Instead, Henry Akinwande’s woeful disqualification against Lennox Lewis in a shambles of a fight on Saturday night further polluted the waters of the world heavyweight division, muddied only two weeks earlier by Mike Tyson’s ear-biting shame.

Akinwande was rightly thrown out of his WBC title challenge by referee Mills Lane after two minutes 34 seconds of round five for persistent holding and spoiling.

It appeared the big man came with no appetite to fight and persisted with his dirty dancing.

The human octopus had his $1m purse withheld and his licence temporarily suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, pending a hearing, leaving the troubled heavyweight division guessing just which way to turn.

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VICKI Jamison pushed herself into the frame for world championship selection by finishing a fine second in the European U23 championships in Finland.

Jamison clocked 57.43 seconds which left her just behind Denmark’s Ritte Ronholt who won in 57.22 seconds.

Interestingly, the Newtownards runner’s time was faster than second placed Alison Layzell in yesterday’s British trials in Birmingham.

Meanwhile Lisburn one lap runner Paul McBurney may also be in the thoughts of the selectors after a brilliant run in Birmingham yesterday.

McBurney smashed the Northern Ireland record when finishing fifth behind winner Ewen Thomas.

The Northern Ireland champion clocked a time of 46.85 which was almost half a second faster than the personal best he established in the semi-finals on Saturday.