Football

Danny Hughes: Kernans are the beating heart of Crossmaglen

Tony Kernan (above) and his brothers Stephen and Aaron have provided invaluable service to the Crossmaglen cause  
Tony Kernan (above) and his brothers Stephen and Aaron have provided invaluable service to the Crossmaglen cause   Tony Kernan (above) and his brothers Stephen and Aaron have provided invaluable service to the Crossmaglen cause  

UNDER John McEntee and Oisín McConville, Crossmaglen have secured one of the most satisfying Ulster titles of the 11 won by the south Armagh club.

Many, including myself, would have considered previous Crossmaglen teams to have so much more than this current crop, yet they still prove that skill or tradition can only do so much. It’s hard work which always wins in the end. 

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” is a quote from little-known high school basketball coach Tim Notke, popularised in 2007 by national college basketball player of the year Kevin Durant. While this should not be a slight on Scotstown, they could have won last Sunday’s game in normal time. Indeed, they had enough chances to do so, but the football Gods had other ideas.

It was a thrilling contest, played in a great spirit by some cracking players. Few would say Darren Hughes deserved to be on the losing side after the performance he produced. A few years ago, we played together on the Railway Cup. Darren was brought in as a stand-in goalkeeper. When I see how accomplished a footballer he has become, capable of playing anywhere, it is clear Darren has worked hard to get here and his talent is without question.

When you consider the horrific weather conditions, it doesn’t exactly lend itself to a good game of football. Yet the teams produced a great spectacle. The Ulster final was all that is good about club football, in the traditions which are becoming the exception rather than the norm. The ball was kicked, scores taken and both teams attacked.

Ball retention is the name of the game these days. Hand-passing the opposition into submission, spectators losing the will to watch. Contrast this with Aaron Kernan winning a free with the minimum between the teams and unleashing a 60-yard drive down the field. Luckily, the Crossmaglen attacker won the 50-50 ball, but this is precisely what we want to see: players playing their position and ‘lacing it forward’ for want of a better term.

Also, when you have the likes of James Morgan, Paul Hughes and Johnny Hanratty, you are always going to stand a good chance of winning the game. I doubt if there are two defenders as good as Morgan and Hughes in Armagh, while Hanratty does exactly what he says on the tin. However, you could equally go through the whole team, as everyone plays their own particular role. 

The three Kernan brothers stand out. Tony, Stephen and Aaron Kernan know each other inside out. They know what runs each is going to make, almost telepathically drifting into positions the other is familiar with. I played with my brothers right throughout the underage ranks and, as dad and mum strategically planned our ages in close proximity, the running joke in the club was we just passed the ball to one another.

To be honest, I hated it when they didn’t or couldn’t play. In fact, my younger brother Jonny (one year younger), I always considered to be county material. The fact that we played at senior level with the club made it that much easier to play club football, so I presume that county football would have been made easier too, if this had been the case. He instinctively knew my runs, when to pass, when not to and when to play to my advantage.

It is no coincidence that many successful teams share a number of family members, brothers or first cousins within the teams, particularly in Gaelic football. While Aaron has had a very successful inter-county career, neither Stephen or Tony had the same opportunities. Aaron was playing at a time when Joe, his father, was manager and Aaron was rightly a constant on the team-sheet.

However, this does not prevent the usual dissenting voices saying the manager’s son gets preferential treatment. People will watch managers’ sons particularly closely and, at every opportunity, make it their business to bash a performance or mistake regardless. Stephen and Tony, younger brothers of Aaron, probably came through at a time when Joe Kernan was moving on.

There is no doubt that all three Kernan brothers should still be playing with Armagh. I always got the impression that Aaron was left with no option but to retire from the Armagh panel. I am sure a player with his quality, skill and athleticism was bewildered by the fact he was warming the bench on a good few occasions. It seemed it was only when injuries started to mount up that he was he able to get in.

In no way is this a criticism of Kieran McGeeney. It’s an outsider's point of view and he is only in the job a short time. Kieran is a super manager, engaging and highly intelligent - Armagh will become contenders again while he is in charge.

If I was new to Gaelic football, after watching last Sunday’s Ulster Club final, you could pick out a number of top class players. Darren Hughes, James Morgan and Paul Hughes are all worthy of this accolade. But for collective contribution, the Kernan brothers are something else. They are invaluable to Crossmaglen. They come as a package, hard working and talented in equal measure, they each bring something different to the other.

That’s called familiarity, telepathic football intelligence and it can be genetic. Whatever you want to call it, Armagh have missed this at a time when they need it most. The county’s loss is Crossmaglen’s gain.