Clan na Gael 2-12 Killeavy 2-11
Clan na Gael made it through to the last four of the Armagh Senior Championship after an enthralling contest with Killeavy on an evening when both sides left everything out on the field.
All-Ireland winner Stefan Campbell bagged both Clan na Gael goals in a game that simply had everything, and it was harsh for either team to end their season after such heroics.
Campbell’s majors came either side of the break, with the second arriving just minutes after the turnaround. Clan na Gael flew out of the traps at the start of the second period and should have grabbed more goals but for the upright and the heroics of Shea Magill.
Magill had a chance to grab an equaliser late on in the game, and his fourth point of the night, from almost 60 yards out. His effort was on target, but Shane McPartlan’s fingertips clawed the ball off the crossbar and Clan na Gael survived.
“The game went right to the wire, you could never settle on the line,” said Clans manager Ronan McMahon.
“At different times I thought that we might kick on, but it didn’t happen because Killeavy were up for that game.
“We knew that was going to come because of the Stevie McDonnell influence. I saw Stevie Kane there, Marty Clarke, Paul McArdle, Barry Trainor, all those boys. That’s a quality set-up they have, and they’ve done brilliantly in the last month.
“Clan na Gael should enjoy the fact they won that game and appreciate that beating Killeavy in the championship is a big win.”
Both sides hit the net in the opening period, with Campbell cancelling out a three-pointer from his immediate man-marker Gareth Murphy. Caolan McConville rounded the keeper to grab Killeavy’s second goal and that gave them a 2-4 to 1-5 half time lead.
Campbell’s second goal-bound strike along, with a point from the impressive Callum O’Neill, suddenly had Clans three up. The sides were pretty much score for score in the second half, before frees from Magill and Miceal McNamee left one the difference.
The final chance fell to the Killeavy keeper and on another night, the crowd could have been treated to extra time and no one would have minded, but it wasn’t to be on this occasion.
Clann Eireann 2-12 Armagh Harps 1-12
League champions Clann Eireann edged past Armagh Harps to reach the final four of the Armagh Senior Championship after a ferocious battle. A goal in the final couple of minutes from Clann Eireann’s top scorer for the campaign, Ruairi McDonald, was the crucial score.
Both sides gave an exhibition of shooting, and the scoring really added to the excitement of the spectacle. There was often just one or two points between the teams throughout, while the sides were level on eight different occasion.
An outstanding score from the sideline by McDonald and a Jack Conlon point got Clann Eireann off to a good start before Joe McElroy (free), along with cornerback Colm Hicks, got Pascal Canavan’s men back on level terms.
James McCoy and Conor Turbitt slotted home penalties inside a hectic six-minute period, during which time both teams were also reduced to 14 men for separate ten-minute spells, with Emmet Magee and Tom O’Kane receiving black cards.
A swift, sweeping score from Turbitt after his converted penalty saw the sides level, 1-3 apiece, with the half coming to a close.
Oisin Hughes and Conor McConville traded scores, as did McCoy and Turbitt, before Hughes nudged the Harps one ahead.
The 2021 championship winners finished the half stronger with the final three-points through Player of the Year candidate Barry McCambridge, who landed the score of the night, Conlon and Daniel Magee, to leave Clann Eireann ahead 1-8 to 1-6 at half time.
It was fairly even at the start of the second half once again, but points from attack-minded wing backs, O’Kane and Ryan McKeown, helped the Harps and tie things up as the game headed into the final quarter.
McConville and Hughes both raised white flags at either end of the pitch while All-Ireland winners and county colleagues, McElory and McCambridge, both fired over scores to even the scoreboard once again.
Like the first of Saturday’s double bill, extra time looked a real possibility as the full-time whistle neared, but there was time for one final twist. The winning opportunity feel to McDonald, who found the net despite the best efforts of Mark McCoy, to decide the game.