CAVAN'S heroic bid to win the All Ireland U21 football championship title for the first time ever failed at Semple Stadium, Thurles when they came up against an experienced Kerry team who rallied in the closing stages to score five points without reply and retain their title.
In the early stages the supporters were in full voice as they saw Cavan dominate but a lot of missed opportunities allowed Kerry off the hook.
With 10 minutes remaining Kerry led by 1-11 to 1-8 but no sooner had the Cavan supporters given up hope than corner forward Mickey Graham scored a great goal to level the scores and they were level again on two more occasions before Kerry finished strongly with those five crucial points.
Kerry: D Murphy, K O'Driscoll, B McCarthy, M O'Shea, K Burns, C Drummond, E Fitzmaurice (0-1), D O Se (0-2), W Kirby (0-1), D O'Dwyer (0-1), L Hassett (0-2), D O Cinneide (0-3), J O'Shea (0-1), B Clarke (0-1), M F Russell (0-3). Subs: J Brennan (1-2) for B Clarke, R O'Rahilly for J Brennan
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Cavan: A Donohoe, P Murphy, M Reilly, C McCarey, P Brady, P Reilly (0-1), M McGauran (0-1), D McCabe (0-3), T Farrelly, D Fegan, R Brennan (0-2), A Forde, J Reilly (1-1), L Reilly (0-1), M Graham (1-1). Sub: B Mulvenna for D Fegan.
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CROSSMAGLEN RANGERS, following a 10 year painful and uncharacteristic wait, are again the kingpins of Armagh football for the 25th time after beating Clann na Gael 3-12 to 1-4.
Before a 6,000 crowd and in the sweltering heat of the Athletic Grounds, the Rangers snatched the initiative from the throw in, attacking with vigour.
Clans were reduced to 14 men just before the break when corner back Joe Lavery was ordered off for a rather crude sideline tackle on Rangers captain Jim McConville, who deservedly won the man of the match award.
Crossmaglen Rangers: P Hearty, M Califf, D Murtagh, P McKeown, J Fitzpatrick, F Bellew, G McShane, J McEntee, T McEntee, C Short (2-0), A Cunningham (0-2), O McConville (0-5), J McConville (1-3), G Cumiskey, C O'Neill (0-2). Subs: M Moley for Cumiskey (39), K Donnelly for J McConville (52).
Clann na Gael: B Campbell, P McKenna, N Morrow, J Lavery, D Marsden, G McCaugherty, P Oldham, B McCabe (0-1), J French (0-1), P O'Hagan, B J O'Hagan (1-2), J Campbell, S Lappin, D Marsden, D McCann. Subs: K O'Hagan for McKenna (29), N McStravick for Lappin (43), P Murray for Morrow (51).
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COLIN Montgomerie set four European Tour records when he shot a superb fourth-round 63 to win the Canon European Masters.
The round meant Montgomerie finished with a 72-holes aggregate of 260 at Crans-Sur-Sierre, Switzerland.
In beating fellow Scot Sam Torrance by four shots and Suffolk-based Paul Curry by seven, Montgomerie, who had a 61 in the third round, shot 124 for his last two rounds.
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TOP seed Steffi Graf saved her best for last, powering her way to an emphatic 7-5 6-4 victory over second seed Monica Seles to claim her fifth US Open title.
Graf unveiled a new weapon in her Grand Slam arsenal against Seles – a devastating first serve. The top seed fired in 10 aces, all in the 100 mile per hour range and picked up a slew of other free points with serves that Seles simply could not handle.
“I played my best today,” Graf said during an awards ceremony shortened by a sudden torrential downpour.
“She was definitely better,” agreed Seles, who won her fourth Australian Open this year but had not faced Graf since last year's US Open final.
