Ulster final is the "be all and end all" for McConville

November 26, 2015

Crossmaglen Rangers manager Oisin McConville.
©INPHO/Presseye/Russell Pritchard.

Oisin McConville has stressed that Sunday's Ulster club SFC final against Scotstown is the only game on Crossmaglen minds right now.

The perennial Armagh champions are favourites to claim their 11th provincial crown, but Scotstown - who are appearing in their first final in 26 years - will be no pushover, according to the joint-Crossmaglen manager.

Writing in his Newry Democrat column, McConville states: "We want to be as good as we can be because there is no point in us saving ourselves for the next game. On Sunday the Ulster final is the be all and end all, should we win our next game won't be for another three months, should we lose it will be nine months.

"This is all out; we have to be prepared to put our bodies on the line. What we have done so far will mean nothing if we aren't lifting the trophy on Sunday."

He added: "We won the semi-final comfortably against Kilcoo but still have a huge amount to work on.

"I am not playing mind games here, but when the Ulster championship draw was made I sat down with John McEntee and we both agreed that we had to deliver improved performances to reach the Ulster final, and if we did that we were confident our opponents would be Scotstown.

"They were disappointed how they lost in the Monaghan vhampionship last season and they have a point to prove. They are probably as good a footballing team as I have seen in Ulster over recent years and they can grab scores from throughout the field.

"Darren Hughes has been magnificent at full forward but importantly, Scotstown are a team that can mix it and have several physically big players at full back and midfield and centre half back. Right up the spine of the team they have quality big players."


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