O’NEILL TAKES CROSS TO TITLE
Paddy Mcniece and Peter Mcgahan majors saw the east Tyrone side gained revenge on 2016 champions Killyclogher, who hammered them by 14 points in a replay decider two years ago.
A brilliant Tiernan Mccann goal had Killyclogher leading 1-4 to 0-5 at the break with Coalisland failing to score from play in the opening period.
But it all changed with those two goals in a four-minute spell while Killyclogher failed to score in the final 20 minutes.
Ex-coalisland and Tyrone legend Damian O’hagan only took the reins after a troubled start to the season and claimed: “I always knew the talent was there, it was just a matter of get- ting confidence in the team. Once they started to settle and play their football, I knew there was only going to be one winner.”
The sides were level four times in a dour first half before Mccann’s brilliance put the first clear daylight between the sides.
Tyrone star Mark Bradley opened the scoring with a fine point from the wing after just 56 seconds in the first – and best – point of the game.
Every time Killyclogher scored, Coalisland responded to draw level on four occasions although the Na Fianna failed to score from play in the first half.
Brian Toner (two), Paddy Mcniece and Cormac O’hagan converted frees to level it up after Aidy Kelly, Conal Mccann ( from a ‘45’) and Simon O’neill all pointed for Killyclogher.
The 2016 champions threatened the Coalisland goal three times in the first half. Matty
Crossmaglen Rangers Ballymacnab
1-15 0-24 CROSSMAGLEN are back on top in Armagh after a remarkable turnaround at the Athletic Grounds yesterday in a pulsating game of football.
Rangers, without a county title since 2015, were three behind at half-time with Jack Murnaghan burst through but was caught in two minds between taking an easy point or going for goal and ended up with neither but the Mccann brothers Tiernan and Conall combined for Tiernan to score a classy goal in the first minute of stoppage time. Grugan on fire for Ballymacnab with 1-5 as they chased a first ever senior county success.
Three Rian O’neill scores brought Crossmaglen back into it and it was man of the match O’neill (0-6) again who landed their 24th and final score with a late beauty to seal their 46th title.
Mcniece charged through and was fouled, taking the free himself to reduce the half-time deficit to 1-4 to 0-5.
A goalkeeping error from Sean Fox got Coalisland back in the game, Mcniece bundling the loose ball into the net after 40 minutes when the ball was spilled.
Four minutes later, a routeone long ball from Niall Kerr into Peter Mcgahan on the edge of the square caused mayhem. He turned and his low finish across goal went in off the far post to put Coalisland 2-6 to 1-6 ahead.
Killyclogher failed to score in the last 20 minutes, which included five minutes of injury time, with Bradley missing a couple of placed kicks.
Coalisland had pulled off some narrow wins all year and they were battle-hardened down the final stretch, scoring the last five unanswered points.