Football

Jamie Clarke ruled out of Crossmaglen campaign

Jamie Clarke won't be making a dramatic return to Crossmaglen after arriving home from America
Jamie Clarke won't be making a dramatic return to Crossmaglen after arriving home from America Jamie Clarke won't be making a dramatic return to Crossmaglen after arriving home from America

THERE was good and bad news for Antrim champions Cargin ahead of the Ulster Club Championship showdown with Crossmaglen Rangers at the Athletic Grounds.

The good news is Jamie Clarke won’t be making a dramatic return to the famed amber and black. The bad news is Aaron Kernan has shrugged off a groin injury and will be fit for the provincial quarter-final.

There was growing speculation Clarke would be back for Crossmaglen's tilt at provincial glory, but joint boss Oisín McConville ruled out that prospect. The mercurial attacker spent the last few months in America, but has recently returned home.

It is understood the 25-year-old county ace had expressed an interest in making a possible return, but couldn't give the commitment and, therefore, won't feature against Cargin. McConville explained the door will always remain open to one of the club's best players.

"We’ve always supported Jamie in what he's wanted to do," said McConville.

"If he wanted to travel, he could travel. If he wanted to come back, he’d be more than welcome to come back in. That’s the thing that you have to remember - it’s Jamie’s club as much as it is my club or John McEntee’s club or Aaron Kernan’s club. So we would facilitate it if he wanted to commit, but we’re not in a position to do that.”

Clarke is expected to recommit to Armagh next season. McConville added that 'Cross have adapted to life without Clarke in their attack. They retained their county title earlier this month with a handy 18-point win over Armagh Harps, with nine players getting on the scoresheet.

“Jamie just can’t give the commitment," McConville said.

"At the start of the year, we asked everybody to be up front and honest and Jamie has been honest and said he can’t give the commitment. We haven’t really had him over the last number of years, so it’s not that much different in that respect. He’s one of our players and we’d love to have him, but he just can’t give the commitment.

“He's been travelling. He was in New York and now he's home. But we don’t have him and that’s the way we’ve been planning all year. We haven’t thought of him as an option all year as he hasn’t been around for a while now.”

However, Aaron Kernan is in line for a recall after missing Crossmaglen’s county final victory: “Aaron was the only injury from the county final. He didn’t play any part in that game and should be fine now.

“It’s a big plus to have Aaron back, absolutely. He’s playing the football of his life and he has that experience. He’s one of our leaders.”

McConville and McEntee attended Cargin’s handsome county final win over Lámh Dhearg and believes the real tests for ‘Cross lie ahead.

“The standard of football in Armagh, you would have to say, was quite poor and we won our matches quite convincingly,” said McConville.

“So we haven’t been properly tested, but we know for a fact, when we play Cargin, we will be.”