Published: Wednesday, 3rd March, 2010 4:02pm

Hurlers slip to disappointing defeat

by Paul Fitzpatrick

Pic by==: 97

Paul Fitzpatrick

at Michael Fay Park, Longford

After the high comes the low. Having beaten Leitrim with a tremendous performance in the opening round of the Allianz National Hurling League, Cavan were brought crashing back to earth by Longford in a heated match played on a muddy Michael Fay Park last Sunday afternoon.

The visitors weren't helped by some woeful decisions by referee Declan Magee (Down), who failed to act on dangerous play on numerous occasions and made some baffling calls.

Still, officiating aside, this was a match Cavan could well have won had many of their key players not been strangely quiet. Even big Bernard Gaffney, a genuine blue-chip forward from Clare who started an All Ireland senior quarter-final just two seasons ago, was muted from play, although the Newmarket On Fergus man did produce a fantastic exhibition of dead ball striking.

The tone was set for a hard match of big hits and few scores when Longford centre-forward Sean Browne broke his hurley just ten seconds in. With a "drifting" competition taking place a couple of hundred metres away, the match was played out in an incessant din of screeching tyres and roaring engines, which suited the blood and thunder proceedings on the field.

Longford, bolstered by a number of recruits from Offaly, started the better of the sides and opened the scoring with a good point from Conor Egan but Cavan replied in the best possible fashion with a thunderous free from Gaffney bursting the bottom of the Longford net on 10 minutes.

The goal, however, didn't settle Cavan down as hoped and Longford were soon level with points from freetaker Declan Tanner. Gaffney responded with a huge free from 65 metres and another from a tight angle to open a two-point lead but the visitors found themselves under pressure at the back, where Darren Sheridan was fielding well, and two more Tanner frees levelled it up on 25 minutes.

Mark Cassidy tacked on a neat point to nudge Longford in front once again as the referee began to lose control at times, with some players growing frustrated at what looked like a lack of protection from overly-physical play.

Kevin Downes, a hugely-talented player who had an off-day here, sparkled briefly with a sweet point on the turn in the 31st minute to level matters once again before Gaffney and Tanner exchanged frees to leave it all square at the break, 1-4 to 0-7.

The second half began with more of the same. A filthy swing on the lionhearted Paul Sheridan, who had a fine match, was only punished with a yellow card as the tackles continued to come in thick, fast and late.

The match descended into a war of attrition, with the first score only arriving in the 51st minute, when a Longford player pulled on a loose ball in the centre of a swinging pack of forwards and defenders and saw the ball trickle over the Cavan line.

To their credit, Brendan Nelligan's men showed great heart and fought back to level with a Gaffney free, a great score from play by busy sub Eugene Hill and, finally, another Gaffney dead ball from an impossible angle.

At 1-8 apiece with less than ten minutes on the clock, it was anyone's game but despite Cavan's best efforts - battling wing-forward Ciaran Brennan, wing-back Andrew Nelligan and midfielder Gary Brennan deserve mentions here - they couldn't get the upper hand and Longford reeled off a couple of points in injury time to take the win.

Despite the defeat, Cavan won't be too disheartened. They will improve for the run and, already, look a more cohesive unit than before. Watch this space.

Cavan: Mark Curry, Daithi Neary, Michael Carr, Anthony Sheridan, Brendan Devine, Cormac Nelligan, Andrew Nelligan, Paul Sheridan, Gary Brennan, Jamie Rosney, Bernard Gaffney (1-7f), Ciaran Brennan, Kevin Downes (0-1), Mark McEntee, Michael O'Connor

SUBS: Eugene Hill (0-1)

Longford: Patrick Cullen, Brenand Stakem, Thomas Stakem, Ciaran Finucane, Rory Donnellan, Seamus Hannon, Robert Ryland, Martin Coyle, Seanie Stakelum, Conor Egan, Sean Browne, John Lynam, Joe Newman, Declan Tanner, Mark Cassidy

REF: D Magee (Down)

Return to: Homepage | Sport Index | This article