Armagh Harps too hot for Cullyhanna to lift Armagh U21 Intermediate title

Armagh Harps 3-15

St Pat’s Cullyhanna 1-07

ARMAGH Harps swept aside the challenge of Cullyhanna to convincingly win the Armagh U21 Intermediate Championship on Friday night.

Played in Armagh’s Box-IT Athletic Grounds, it was a game dominated by the City side that looked bigger in size and a bit more mature in performance but that is no surprise given how this Cullyhanna side are made up largely by their talented Minors.

The south Armagh side will be better for the experience and most of them will represent Cullyhanna at U21 level again next year.

But the night belonged to Armagh Harps and they did much of the damage with an impressive first half which left Cullyhanna facing a steep uphill battle at half-time.

The City team were magnificent, they used the width of the pitch, played intelligent football with fast attacking once into the final third and a confident build-up.

This is a young Cullyhanna side, so it was always going to be a tough ask, but they made life hard for themselves by giving up the Harps kick-outs and were forced to chase the game from the moment Oisin Gribben rattled the net with 13 minutes gone.

Before that the south Armagh lads had held their own, in fact the speedy Padraig McCreesh almost gave his side the dream start but his daisy-cutter strike from 21-metres, went inches wide of the post.

Caomh Agnew and Dylan Daly posted points either side of Cullyhanna’s Darach McDonnell’s fine effort but the goal changed the landscape of the game.

Harps grew in strength, they were moving the ball at pace and players such as Oisin Gribben, Cahir McGurgan and Dylan Daly took the game to Cullyhanna and Caomh Agnew was always a threat.

Cullyhanna did create chances but they kept running into contact and magnificent harassing and tackling by captain Sean Kelly, Robbie McKee and Tiernan Moore, left the south Armagh lads frustrated.

Captain Kelly, Daly and Odhran Agnew tagged on scores as Armagh Harps raced ahead, but Tiernan O’Neill’s stroked effort from distance was a score of beauty and then team-mate Eoin McCreesh converted two frees within as many minutes to give Cullyhanna that slight bit of optimism.

However, it was a fleeting feeling because Caomh Agnew fired over the first two-pointer of the night and matters got even worse for Cullyhanna when they conceded a penalty and had goalkeeper Conor Heaney was black-carded.

Caomh Agnew converted his spot-kick against sub keeper Dara Duffy with McDonnell being sacrificed to make way. So what was, only a couple of minutes ago, a four point gap had been extended to nine points, with three minutes remaining to half-time.

But just before that whistle, Paudie McCreesh displayed his pace once more and he finished his lung-busting run with a point, which was a score of real quality from the Cullyhanna lad.

Harps led 2-08 to 0-05 at the break and while St Pat’s came flying out of the traps at the start of the second half, despite having a two-point free and shot at goal, they came away with nothing, as Harps keeper Conall McCann denied Lewis Bellew from close range.

And when it’s not your day, you really know it because Armagh’s City lads looked to make a clear breach, which had the St Pat’s management up in arms but after referee Paudie Hughes, who did well, consulted with his officials a free was awarded to the Harps.

It seemed as if the harder Cullyhanna tried the further the game got away from them but they kept plugging away with Conall McCreesh finding the net on 40-minutes.

But there was no heroic comeback, instead the City side managed the game brilliantly, they tapped over the odd score and that man Odhran Agnew bagged a cracking goal.

The substitutes that the City men brought on looked bigger in stature and it was sure nothing was getting easier for Cullyhanna.

There was still time for bit of heated debate on the field that left both sides finishing the game with 14 players as Cullyhanna’s no. 26 not named on the team-sheet and the lively Oisin Gribben from Harps picked up black cards.

But that doesn’t detract from what was an excellent Harps display, which should bode well for their future, while Cullyhanna will be even better prepared for next season and already several lads have made an impact in the senior set-up.

ARMAGH HARPS: Conall McCann, Conor McCann, Cian Mooney, Robbie McKee, Tiarnan Moore, Sean Kelly, Thomas McCreesh, Caoimhe Hughes, Odhran Agnew, Cahir McGurgan, Oisin Gribben, Joe Duggan, Dylan Daly, Caomh Agnew, Darragh Lordan.

Harps scorers: Odhran Agnew (1-03, 1tp), Caomh Agnew (1-03, 0-1f, 1-00 pen). Dylan Daly (0-05, 0-5f), Oisin Gribben (1-01), Conall McCann (0-02, 1tp), Joe Duggan (0-01).

ST PAT’S CULLYHANNA: Conor Heaney, Evan Bellew, Fergal Conlon, Aiden Teague, Sean Burns, Cathal Burns, Ruairi Quinn, Fergus Bellew, Tiarnan O’Neill, Donnacha Gribben, Lewis Bellew, Louie McCreesh, Conal McCreesh, Padraig McCreesh, Darach McDonnell.

Cullyhanna scorers: Eoin McCreesh (0-03, 0-3f), Conal McCreesh (1-00), Darach McDonnell (0-02), Tiarnan O’Neill (0-01), Padraig McCreesh (0-01).

Referee: Paudie Hughes (Crossmaglen)