A FAMILIAR label will accompany Madden into what are becoming more familiar surroundings after they justified their rare status as ‘favourites’ to comfortably see off Mullaghbawn.
Reaching the Armagh SFC semi-finals for the second season in a row is a notable achievement, but new manager Mark Harte acknowledged that they will still be regarded as ‘underdogs’.
This performance won’t have elevated their standing much in the eyes of most observers. After the drama and entertainment of Saturday night’s quarter-finals, which sent Lurgan sides Clann Eireann and Clan na Gael, this was a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s Show’.
Before it too, with many supporters arriving as this game went on to watch the second part of the double-header, between reigning Armagh champs Crossmaglen and the All-Ireland Intermediate title-holders Cullyhanna.
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Madden won’t mind being overlooked, though, and they conducted their business efficiently.
As anticipated, the Raparees were the better side for much of this match, although Harte insisted that he was relieved to progress after Mullaghbawn threatened to make a game of it by grabbing a goal on the stroke of half-time.
That opportunist effort from defender Jack Bennett made it a one-point game, 0-9 to 1-5, and Mullaghbawn even levelled with the first score of the second half, but after that Madden controlled proceedings impressively to run out seven-point winners.
Still, Harte insisted that progress was all that mattered for his new charges, commenting: “Pleased just to get through. The last play of the first half was a sucker punch to us…
“In Championship football, especially a team with the pedigree of Mullaghbawn, and the way were set up, they were always going to be difficult to break down.”
That very defensive approach from Mullaghbawn was obviously much more of a factor in proceedings than any of their championship history.
At first it didn’t seem as if all the opposition men dropping back would present too many problems for Madden, though, as they made a strong start, reeling off four points to no reply within the opening seven minutes.
However, it was tight after that, after Declan Campbell’s side began to make their mark, with an unpredictable combination of attacking approaches. At times they embarked on pacy counter-attacking, on other occasions they kicked high balls in towards big Cormac Smyth at full-forward.
With referee Kevin Fallon letting it flow/ failing to blow (delete depending on your perspective), there were very few frees. There should still have been more scores from play, but both sides were guilty of some wayward shooting.
Yet Mullaghbawn were hanging in, and one of the best scores came from their goalkeeper Kieran Grant, showing his previous outfield experience by drilling a long range point which his opposite number Jamie Sheridan had to tip over his crossbar.
Even so, Madden still held a four-point lead going into first half injury time, until that shock major from Bennett. Pauric Mackin pulled his left-foot shot slightly off target, but the Madden defence failed to hold onto the ball as it dropped. Instead, Bennett pounced to poke a low shot to the net, and suddenly it was a one-point game.
When Mullaghbawn centre half-back Fergal O’Brien got his second score of the game to equalise it seemed that they might cause another upset, having ousted Maghery – but Madden had an ace in attack to trump their opponents.
Many eyes might have been on Armagh All-Ireland winner and Allstar nominee Niall Grimley, operating at centre half-forward, but it was his cousin Conor Grimley who stole the show.
Having threatened sporadically before the break, and scored a point, the corner-forward cut loose with four second half scores. A mark got him going, then he quickly added two more stylish points, both sent over off the outside of his right boot.
By the time he got his fifth and final point, in the 55th minute, Madden were well in control, leading by 0-15 to 1-6.
Mullaghbawn did not help their cause by bringing their tally of wides to 13, nine in the second period, many of them looking scoreable.
They also continued going for goal, both high and low, but sure hands and brave blocks from the Madden defence held firm and kept them clear in the lead.
Mullaghbawn finally got their second score of the second half, through Niall Loye, but that proved to be their last, and Madden eased to victory with more points from Darragh McMullan and Joe Sheridan.
Madden: Jamie Sheridan; S Vallely, Jack Murphy (0-1), D Rafferty; O O’Hara, E Grimley, N Smith (0-1); P Carr (0-1), L Grimley; Joe Sheridan (0-3), N Grimley (0-2, 0-1 ‘45′), D McMullen (0-2); C Vallely, C Rafferty (0-2, 0-1 mark), C Grimley (0-5, 0-1 mark).
Substitutes: P Lappin for C Vallely (55); A McKenna for C Rafferty (57).
Mullaghbawn: K Grant (0-1); M McKinley, C Tierney, F Mackin; J Bennett (1-0), F O’Brien (0-2), P Mackin; J McCann, P Magill; E English (0-1), F Downey, R McCann; P Quinn (0-1), C Smyth (0-1), N Loye (0-1).
Substitutes: E McVerry for Quinn (50); T Murphy for R McCann (56).
Referee: Kevin Faloon (Forkhill).
