O’Neill: ‘Ref said last play’

By Niall Keenan

Oisín O'Neill has said that referee Paul Faloon told him it was "last play" rather than the final kick of the game as he explained Crossmaglen's controversial late winner against Gowna in their Ulster Club SFC quarter-final.

The Crossmaglen forward opted to take the free short in the closing moments rather than attempt a difficult two-point score, with his younger brother Rian subsequently finding the target with a sensational two-pointer to snatch victory from Gowna.

The decision sparked furious scenes at the final whistle, with Gowna's players and management believing the free had been signalled as the last kick of the game.

However, O'Neill outlined his understanding of the situation, explaining that he had been looking to create an opportunity for a teammate to register a score and take the contest to extra-time.

"I took a look around and Paul (Faloon – referee) had said to me last play. I saw Rian and a couple of other boys and thought they might be able to get a one [point score] to take it to extra time as it was quite a tough free," he said.

"I saw him and he was going for two anyway so thank God it went over."

The dramatic conclusion capped a remarkable comeback from the Armagh champions, who had trailed by 11 points before producing a vastly improved second-half performance to turn the contest around.

O'Neill acknowledged that Crossmaglen had been well below their expected standards before the interval, admitting they had failed to implement the plans put in place following their county final victory.

"It was a complete game of two halves from our perspective. We were really disappointed with how we played in the first half and how we didn't do any of the things we talked about in the three weeks since the county final," he said.

"When we got it together in the second half, you saw the football we can play. We'll be happy with a lot of aspects of the second half, and we missed a lot in the second half too, and the next day we need to take those scores because we could be punished.

The ability to gain control around the middle of the field was central to Crossmaglen's recovery, with their work on Gowna's kickouts providing the platform to build momentum. Crossmaglen dominated the Gowna kickout for the majority of the second although O’Neill acknowledged there remains plenty for the side to improve upon.

"When we get on a roll, we are hard to beat.

"In the middle, we compete hard from kickouts, someone said we won 10 in a row of their kickouts and it gives you a great platform to try and push on and get scores, but we still have a lot to work on."

Crossmaglen now face Tyrone champions Edendork in the semi-final while Scotstown face St. Eunan’s of Donegal.