Crossmaglen Minors 3-10

A determined St Peter’s minor team battled against torrential rain and a pitch like a skating rink last Sunday at Pearse Og Park but they certainly didn’t deserve to be beaten by the margin that separated the sides at the finish.

It would have been interesting to see how both teams would have fared on dry conditions, had the match been fixed for another occasion no one could have argued.

Crossmaglen recently won the Armagh under 16 final, but their minors didn’t look strong this year. The Rangers are now in the final with an ordinary team which says a lot about their winning mentality.

In fairness St Peter’s did well to get this far considering their league form, but when on top during Saturday’s encounter and leading by 1-2 to 0-0 they subsequently kicked seven wides in a row.

Crossmaglen’s killer goal and their second arrived midway through the second half with just a point between the teams, the ball skidded past a Whites defender to Rangers danger man Ryan Conlon who despatched past Darren Kelly in the St Peter’s goal.

At the beginning the Freecrow boys were well on top, Niall McConville who was the losers most co-ordinated forward on show knocked over the first score.

Steven Fox buried a goal into the Rangers net three minutes later and although Shane McCaughey almost hit another on eight minutes his effort registered wit the help of the Crossbar.

Luck it would appear almost always runs with successful clubs, with the Whites on too oin the possession stakes. Before the end of the first quarter Darren Fox for St Peter’s saved brilliantly from a Cross midfielder but the ball fell kindly to Ryan Conlon who made no mistake.

Points from Sam Marshall who had a good game and a Niall McConville sent the North Street team in at the break just one behind 1-4 to 1-5.

With the rain badly affecting both teams, Rangers made a match winning move to lead by five points on the three quarter mark.

St Peter’s overall best player on the day Emmett Haughian who showed extreme bravery and skill shot a good point followed by a Niall Creaney effort and although Niall McConville hit a further Whites point seven points separated the teams at the end a score line which flattered Crossmaglen.