IT WAS ANOTHER busy day of club action across the country.
Three county titles were handed out in Ulster, while the provincial championship also got up and running.
In Monaghan, Scotstown’s Drive for Five was ended by Clontibret O’Neills in Clones.
Farney county star Conor McManus led the way as Clontibret produced a massive shock to beat the four-in-a-row champions by six points.
A late Ryan McGuigan goal put the icing on the win for Clontibret, but Scotstown — who have former GAA Director General Paraic Duffy as a selector and a star-studded line-up in Rory Beggan, Darren and Kieran Hughes, Conor McCarthy and Shane Carey — can have no complaints with the better team winning on the day.
The half-time score was 0-9 to 0-3 in favour of the eventual champions, while McManus chipped in with five first-half points — and another after the break. He was named Man of the Match as his club were crowned Monaghan SFC champions for the first time since 2014.
In Armagh, Crossmaglen Rangers got their hands on a 45th senior club title after a nine-point victory over Ballymacnab.
A remarkable second-half rally, in which Cross came from four points down and scored nine in nine minutes, saw them over the line after breaking down a strong Ballymacnab outfit. It looked like a first-ever senior crown could have been on the cards, but Crossmaglen blew them away in the end.
Oisin O’Neill and Colin O’Connor scored their goals, while Armagh star Rian O’Neill — brother of Oisin — was named Man of the Match.
Elsewhere, O’Donavan Rossa Magherafelt won their first Derry senior football championship since 1978 following a one-point win over first-time finalists Watty Grahams Glen — but the decider didn’t finish up without some controversy.
A 41-year gap bridged, but there was huge controversy at the finish. Cahair O’Kane of The Irish News reports that the referee blew the final whistle just as Glen went to shoot and it looked like the effort went over the bar.
Shane Heavron top-scored for Magherafelt, his 0-5 (four frees) helping his side through a tense showpiece in which they ultimately won because of a controlled and disciplined first-half display. And deservedly so, it seems.
Here is that final few seconds of drama from Derry. The whistle had clearly gone, but it clearly shouldn't have in that position. But nobody - and that includes Glen men I spoke to - would argue against the fact that Magherafelt were the better side and deserved to win https://t.co/9ASxbdHyVQ
— Cahair O'Kane (@CahairOKane1) October 20, 2019
Also, the provincial championship got up and running today with Fermanagh’s Derrygonnelly Harps emerging victorious in the AIB Ulster Club SFC preliminary round.
Two first-half goals from Conall Jones and Garvan McGovern sealed the win against Antrim’s Eire Og Cargin at Corrigan Park. Next up for Derrygonnelly is a quarter-final meeting with Tyrone champions Trillick in two weeks’ time.
Monaghan SFC final
- Clontibret 1-14 Scotstown 0-11
Armagh SFC final
- Crossmaglen 2-18 Ballymacnab 2-9
Derry SFC final
- O’Donavan Rossa Magherafelt 0-12 Watty Grahams Glen 0-11
Preliminary Ulster quarter-final
- Derrygonnelly Harps (Fermanagh) 2-10 Eire Og Cargin (Antrim) 0-12
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