YOUNG PRETENDER MEETS heavyweight champ when Garrycastle of Westmeath come up against the mighty Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh in the All-Ireland club senior football final.
For Cross, a win this afternoon would signal yet another extension of their club’s golden era, adding a remarkable sixth All-Ireland title in the last 15 seasons.
For Garrycastle, it is a chance to establish themselves as a major player beyond their own own county borders. Although they were only founded in 1981, they have quickly become one of Westmeath football’s leading lights, completing an impressive hat-trick of county titles earlier this season en route to their first All-Ireland final.
Here’s the story of how both sides have made it this far.
Crossmaglen Rangers
Ulster quarter-final: Crossmaglen Rangers 3-9 St.Gall’s (Antrim) 2-5
The 2010 and 2011 All-Ireland club champions met in the Ulster quarter-finals last October as Crossmaglen looked to get one back on the St Gall’s side who had replaced them at the summit.
It was far from a classic as Cross dominated throughout and would have won by more than the final seven-point margin had they not let Gall’s stay in touch with two soft goals in the second half.
Top scorer: Aaron Cunningham, 1-1
Ulster semi-final: Crossmaglen Rangers 0-17 Ballinderry (Derry) 1-10
Crossmaglen survived a late scare against Ballinderry before booking their return to the provincial decider with a four-point win.
Ballinderry trailed 0-11 to 0-4 and were down to 14 men at the break, but got stuck into their uphill battle after the break and reduced the deficit to the minimum when Conleth Gilligan fired home a penalty with 10 minutes to play.
But Cross were not to be denied and held off the Derry men’s charge with late points from McConville and the Kernan brothers, Tony and Stephen.
Top scorer: Aaron Kernan, 0-5 (4f)
Ulster final: Crossmaglen Rangers 2-11 Burren (Down) 0-10
Crossmaglen’s ruthless streak was to the fore as they claimed a ninth Ulster title without too much fuss, beating Down champions Burren by seven points.
Burren were up against it from the 14th minute when Anton McCardle was shown a straight red following a clash with Tony Kernan, and Oisin McConville took advantage not long after when he rounded Cathal Murdock to score the first of Cross’s two goals.
Despite Burren’s best efforts, Rangers were able to keep a comfortable distance and killed the game in the closing minutes when substitute Kyle Carragher touched the ball past Murdock to score.
Top scorer: Oisin McConville, 1-2 (2f)
All-Ireland semi-final: Crossmaglen Rangers 3-8 Dr. Crokes (Kerry) 2-8
Crossmaglen were pushed every inch of the way before a late Aaron Kernan goal put pay to old rivals Dr Crokes of Kerry in a gripping All-Ireland semi-final.
In a repeat of the classic 2007 final between the sides, the Ulster champions trailed by 1-6 to 1-4 at the break before Stephen Kernan’s scrambled goal in the 34th minute put them ahead for the first time.
The game was turned on its head when Kernan then saw red following an off-the-ball incident, and the sides were level at 2-7 apiece with eight minutes to play after Crokes substitute Chris Brady fired home the equaliser.
But Cross shrugged off their numerical disadvantage and responded almost immediately, Aaron Kernan scoring the decisive goal which kept the Armagh giants on the road to a sixth All-Ireland title in 15 years.
Top scorer: Aaron Kernan, 1-3 (3f)
Crossmaglen’s Aaron Kernan (©INPHO/Presseye/Russell Pritchard)
Garrycastle
Leinster quarter-final: Garrycastle 4-11 Longford Slashers (Longford) 1-6
Garrycastle were never really tested as they racked up a 14-point win over Longford Slashers in the provincial quarter-finals.
A first-half brace by James Dolan gave the Westmeath champions a 2-7 to 0-4 lead at the interval, and wing-forward James Duignan topped off the rout with Garrycastle’s third in the 52nd minute.
Top scorer: James Dolan, 2-1
Leinster semi-final: Garrycastle 1-10 Athy (Kildare) 1-6
Garrycastle can look back on a sizable slice of good fortune as the moment that tipped the Leinster semi-final away from Athy and into their favour.
Athy’s young guns put in an industrious shift, and the game was finely poised until the 56th minute when Dessie Dolan’s effort came back off the post and into the hands of his brother Gary who fired home the winning goal.
Top scorer: Dessie Dolan, 0-4 (4f)
Leinster final: Garrycastle 1-8 St.Brigid’s (Dublin) 0-10
Garrycastle became the first Westmeath club to win the Leinster championship when they held out for a one-point win against the gallant Dublin champions, St Brigid’s.
Anthony Cunningham’s men did it the hard way though, much to the chagrin of their supporters, as they led by eight at one point in the second half before frittering away their entire advantage as the game wore on.
A late point from Brigid’s substitute Gavin McIntyre looked to have sealed extra-time for the Dubs at a minimum, only for referee Syl Doyle to award Garrycastle a controversial free which Conor Cosgrove pointed in stoppage time to take home the title.
Top scorer: Dessie Dolan, 0-5 (1f)
All-Ireland semi-final: Garrycastle 1-11 St. Brigid’s (Roscommon) 1-9
Fourteen-man Garrycastle edged St Brigid’s by two points in a tight All-Ireland semi-final, denying the Roscommon men successive St Patrick’s Day appearances in Croke Park.
The Westmeath men led by four when David O’Shaughnessy was red carded with just under a quarter of the game remaining, but despite Brigid’s dominating possession, held their nerve late on to become Westmeath’s first-ever representatives in the All-Ireland club football final.
Top scorer: Dessie Dolan, 0-7 (5f)
