Turbitt shines as clinical Clann Eireann claim Lurgan bragging rights and Armagh title
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A clinical Clann Eireann put their Lurgan neighbours Clan na Gael to the sword, with All-Star nominee Conor Turbitt (0-8) putting in a Man of the Match performance, to clinch the Armagh Senior Club Championship title.
Two first-half goals left the Lurgan Blues chasing for much of the game and each time they saw a ray of hope it was cruelly crushed with goals from Clann Eireann as each one landed at crucial times.
Clann Eireann last lifted the Gerry Fegan Cup in 2021, while it is as far back as 1994 since championship traditionalists Clann na Gael last tasted Armagh championship victory.
Clann Eireann’s sheer cunningness in front of goal gave them a worthy six-point half-time lead. It was a thrilling contest played in Armagh’s Box-IT Athletic Grounds with both sides prepared to go for the throat from the outset.
The game was only four minutes old when Clann Eireann grabbed the opening goal. It was clever engineering between Turbitt and scorer Emmett Magee, because Magee originally called a mark, which was turned into a free. The forward took it quickly playing a one-two with the All-Star nominee before Magee lashed into the surprised Clan na Gael goal.
That gave the 2021 Armagh championship winners a one-point lead because county men Stefan Campbell and Shane McParlan (free) had given the Lurgan Blues an early lead.
Clann’s looked razor sharp and points quickly followed from Turbitt and All-Star Player of the Year nominee Barry McCambridge, who fisted over, before McParlan’s third point.
The Gaels went down to 14 men briefly as Sam McClamon was black-carded for obstruction but during the ten minutes they were down a player they scored a point, by Jack Lavery, and kept Clann Eireann scoreless, much of it thanks to the hard tackling by Campbell.
McPartlan’s 50-metre booming left foot strike and a converted free put two points between the teams and as half-time neared they grafted and had clawed their way back into the contest.
Then in a flash they are overturned, Turbitt made a lung-bursting 45-metre run, with the opposition giving chase, his weighted fisted pass to McCambridge was inch-perfect, who without breaking stride passed backwards to Jack Conlon, who with his back to goal, somehow hooked his shot into the far corner of the net, leaving keeper Ryan Conway scrambling.
It was a clinical blow, struck on the stroke of half-time, it was a mental as much as physical kick in the guts for the Lurgan Blues, who had inched their way back, only to be punished by Clann Eireann’s ruthless streak.
Half-time: Clan na Gael 0-6 Clann Eireann 2-6
That two-goal cushion left Clann Eireann nicely primed for the second period where they were content to keep their neighbours at arms-length, which transpired to be an incredible shoot-out with county man Conor Turbitt (0-8) in magnificent form.
Shane McPartlan and Stefan Campbell weighed in with big scores as the Lurgan Blues tried to close the gap, but it was like running it quicksand as the harder they pushed and more scores they grabbed Clann Eireann had the answer.
Clan na Gael were reduced to 14 men late in the game after Michael McConville's red card but Conor McConville’s goal on 63 minutes was the icing on the cake. While football in Lurgan is in a healthy state, it is Clann na Gael that are celebrating and they will face the Derry champions in the Ulster Club Championship.
Eoghan Mulholland, Shea Heffron, Michael O’Shea, Conan O’Connell, Barry McCambridge (0-01), Sean McCarthy, Ryan Owens, Tiernan Kelly, Conor McConville (1-00), Jack Conlon (1-01), Daniel Magee, Adam Kelly, Ruairi McDonald (0-02), Conor Turbitt (0-08, 0-02 frees), Emmett Magee (1-01).
Dan McCarthy for A Kelly (38’), Rioghan Meehan (0-01) for D Magee (38’), John Magee for J Conlon (42’), Reamonn Frinse for C O’Carroll (63’).
Ryan Conway, Sam McClarnon, Shea McCann, Jack Lavery (0-01), Niall Loney, Michael McConville (0-01), Jamie Brady, Diarmuid O’Hagan, Shane McPartlan (0-06, 0-5 frees), Brendan O’Hagan (0-01, free), Niall Henderson, Callum O’Neill, Malachi Ward, Stefan Campbell (0-05, 0-3 frees, Diarmaid Loney.
Cian France (0-01) for B O’Hagan (42’), Matthew Lennon for D O’Hagan (42’).
Paudie Hughes (Crossmaglen).