Crossmaglen Rangers manager Donal Murtagh may have overseen his side’s successful first step in their bid to retain the AIB Ulster Club title yesterday with victory over St Patrick’s but he was certainly not in party mood afterwards.

Anything but, in fact.

“We dominated possession but we gave the ball away far too many times,” observed Murtagh.

“That certainly will not do when we meet Donegal champions St Eunan’s in next Sunday’s semi-final.

“We will need to show a big step-up in our level of performance.”

While acknowledging that his side’s seven-point blitz just prior to half-time underpinned their victory, Murtagh stressed that the bitingly cold wind had made things difficult for the players in the second period.

“While any championship win is always welcome, I think we have to look at the fact that we only got one point from play in the second-half.

“That’s not such a good return,” mused Murtagh.

But he is certainly not without selection options as the Rangers prepare for yet another Ulster semi-final.

“We replaced the whole full-forward line in the second period and any of these boys who came on could be considered as serious candidates for starting slots.

There is certainly competition for places. Players like Jamie Clarke didn’t make the starting line-up for this game but they are very much in the frame,” confirmed Murtagh.

And he believes that the Ulster Club crown is now very much up for grabs.

“Ourselves, St Eunan’s, Ballinderry and Cavan Gaels are all in the race and these are all good sides. We would need to show a big improvement – all these other teams have plenty of county players in their ranks,” stated Murtagh.

St Patrick’s manager Sean Maguire, who was a selector under Charlie Mulgrew when Fermanagh reached the All Ireland semi-finals in 2004, was left to reflect on a few ‘what might have beens’ afterwards.

“We were forced to play without five first-choice players who are injured – they surely would have made a difference.

“And maybe if we had been awarded a goal when Michael McGrade’s shot appeared to cross the line in the second-half it would have changed things.

“The other forwards are convinced it was a goal, they were actually hailing a score.

“But you have to go by the referee,” said Maguire.

And he added: “Although we lost, we will take positives from this, our first experience in the Ulster Club Championship.

“We knew it was going to be difficult going in against the Rangers.

“They don’t give you much time nor space. And they certainly punish mistakes.

“But the boys are very upbeat, they have absorbed a great deal from this game and it will certainly stand to them.”