Published: Wednesday, 4th August, 2010 12:03pm

Castlerahan too strong for struggling Killygarry

by Paul Fitzpatrick

Castlerahan's Ronan Flanagan and Killygarry's Eoin Smith chase possession. Pic: Adrian Donohoe
Pic by==: 97

Castlerahan 1-10

Killygarry 0-7

Castlerahan made it two wins from two starts in the 2010 Senior Football Championship with a comfortable victory over a desperately disappointing Killygarry side last Saturday evening in Breffni Park.

Inspired once again by Ronan Flanagan and Sean Brady, the maroons were in a different class right from the throw-in and have left Killygarry needing to defeat Lacken in the final group match to go through to the last eight.

While Castlerahan played some lovely football going forward, their cause was helped by a complete lack of invention on Killygarry's part. The Crubany men, who have been in three county semi-finals in recent seasons,had scored just a point in the second half of their opener against Crosserlough and recorded the same tally in the first 31 minutes here; it doesn't take a football expert to know that 0-2 in over an hour's football does not a senior football team make.

That aside, Castlerahan deserve a lot of credit. They play the game the right way and have an excellent forward line, where Flanagan, Cian Mackey, Brady and Oisin O'Connell have all been finding the target regularly.

The latter two were on hand to set up a goal chance which Brady tapped home from close range with a dozen minutes played. John Clarke and Stephen McGovern (free) had earlier exchanged points but Castlerahan were dominating possession and had forced Killygarry goalkeeper Patrick Galligan into an excellent save just seconds before Brady's goal.

A fine strike from Flanagan and a great point from Brady, who tapped the ball soccer style around a Killygarry defender in front of the stand, gathered it on the other side and converted made it 1-3 to 0-1 on the quarter hour mark.

Killygarry were struggling in may positions. Martin Reilly - usually one of the most consistent forwards on the Cavan club scene - wasn't his usual will o'the wisp self and, their 'go-to guy' not making his expected impact, they were devoid of options going forward.

A fine score from Mackey, who curled over despite the close attentions of Padraig Cahill, made it 1-4 to 0-1 before Fergal Clarke, one of the few bright sparks for Killygarry before he was surprisingly withdrawn, ended a 28-minute drought with Killygarry's second point two minutes into first half injury time.

Killygarry came out fired up at the start of the second half as was to be expected and looked to take the game to their opponents. A good run by set up Brendan Murray, who was fouled and Stephen McGovern converted.

Good work from the probing Flanagan, whose class and vision shone throughout, set up Brady for a neat point in reply and another from O'Connell opened a 1-6 to 0-3 lead seven minutes into the second half.

A good score from Killygarry sub Stephen McHugh and a free by Stephen McGovern brought the margin back to five but Killygarry never looked like getting through for that all-important goal.

A sweet point from Sean Brady was cancelled out by a McGovern free, after a foul on Martin Reilly, but there was only going to be one winner at this stage, despite the relative proximity on the scoreboard.

A long ball from Brady set up O'Connell for a fisted point and another for defender Alan Mulvey restored the six-point gap.

Killygarry, struggling badly to contain the Castlerahan attack, resorted to packing their own defence - at one stage there were 12 red and black shirts inside their own 45 - but Castlerahan were too sharp.

A McGovern free was cancelled out by a brilliant point on the run by Stephen Cooney as the clock ticked down and Castlerahan won pulling up.

CASTLERAHAN: Jamie Leahy, Stephen Cooney (0-1), Fergal Flanagan, Brian Coleman, Eugene Hill, Alan Mulvey, Enda O'Connell, John Clarke (0-1), Patrick Cusack, Daniel Lynch, Sean Brady (1-3), Cian Mackey (0-2), Enda Mulvey, Ronan Flanagan (0-1), Oisin O'Connell (0-2)

SUBS: Nigel Duignan

KILLYGARRY: Patrick Galligan, Daryl McKenna, Eoin Smith, John Lyng, Andy McGovern, Padraig Cahill, Michael McGovern, Ciaran Crowe, Brendan Murray, Fergal Clarke (0-1), Seanie Maloney, Donal Thomas, Martin Reilly, Cathal Keaney, Stephen McGovern (0-5f)

SUBS: Stephen McHugh (0-1), Ross Sheridan

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