AN experienced Clan na Gael had too many tricks up their sleeves for an emerging Sarsfields side last Monday night in the Pat McMahon Cup final played at Clann Eireann Park.

The young Hoops raced into an early 0-4 to 0-2 lead but when the Clans settled and shuffled their pack they took control and won with something in hand.

Dairmaid Marsden shot eight out of the Blues sixteen on the night. He hit the first and the last and six in between in a man of the match performance.

Neither team were at full strength and both, who lined out just twenty eight hours previously in league matches, played at pace on an evening which saw St Michael’s Aghagallon take the Shield in the curtain raiser against Tir na nOg.

Firstly under the pressure of a tight deadline the North Board should be commended on the overall nights proceedings. The GAA Week took some organising and the McMahon competitions are at last finding credence in the overall order of things. Bringing the heart back into the GAA community in North Armagh was never going to be easy, but at last the pulse is beating.

The Clans led 0-7 to 0-5 at the break. Earlier Richard Stevenson and Eamon McGeown settled the Hoops with two early scores, with an out of sorts Clans outfit struggling with the early pace of their opponents. Marsden and Paul O’Hagan shot points, but Trasna responded with two quick scores from Paul Hughes and Paul McGaughey.

The second quarter belonged to a more fluent Clans who continued to dominate. Michael O’Hagan and four Dairmaid Marsden points in a row were interrupted by a Richard Stevenson effort.

A brief purple patch by Sarsfields saw nice efforts from Michael Stevenson, Paul Hughes and Richards Stevenson narrow the gap but Marsden struck twice to cushion the Clans win.