Gowna oust Gaels to make league final

ACFL Division 1 semi-final

Cavan Gaels 1-10

Gowna 3-7

Gowna are through to this year’s Division 1 league final after a three-point win over Cavan Gaels in Terry Coyle Park on Sunday afternoon last. Both sides were less than full strength and Cavan Gaels had to wait until Friday night to find out the result of Geariod McKiernan’s appeal of his red card from the Killygarry game, which was unsuccessful.

With neither side playing particularly well, the Gowna goals were the difference in the end. Gowna, with an array of free-takers, needed all four of them to account for their seven-point total as their only scores from play came as majors.

A Tiarnan Madden free opened the scoring for the would be winners after three minutes of play. After a turn-over by Fionnan Brady, Gowna worked the ball up the field to TJ Fitzpatrick who played a pass ahead of Ryan Donohoe for a powerful finish to Alan O’Riordan’s net.

Sharp shooter Martin Dunne replied with a point for the Gaels but another free from Tiarnan Madden pushed Gowna into a four-point lead again.

Martin Dunne converted a free for the home side after Padraig Sexton was fouled and the impressive Emmanuel Shehu split the posts on the 14th minute to leave just two points between the sides.

Referee Joe McQuillan was busy as the Gaels defence were punished for the third time with a converted Tiarnan Madden free to leave the score 1-3 to 0-3 at the water break.

Speedster Niall Smith broke forward from the Gaels defence to raise a white flag before the busy Jack Tully left the minimum between the sides with ten minutes remaining in the half. Just as the boys in blue thought they were getting a foothold in the game Gowna landed with a power play.

Quick hands from the middle third by Gowna saw Cian Madden win the ball close to goal. After being bottled up and looking like he was running out of road Madden pulled the ball back out to Conor Casey in front of the goals. Casey showed no hesitation in calmly sending the ball to the back of the net.

The lads from Gowna had found the secret to breaking the Gaels defence and when at it again straight away. Conor Madden worked the ball through the blues back line before playing a one two with Ryan Donohoe for a fisted finish to the net leaving Gowna seven points ahead with 23 minutes played.

Both sides were guilty of sloppy play before the break as missed chances mounted. The final score of the half came through a Martin Dunne free which turned out to be his last action of the day as he was replaced at the break by Paul O’Connor.

Kieran Donnelly got the response he was looking for after six minutes of the second half. County man Luke Fortune and Andrew Graham combined before Fortune shifted the ball to his right foot and placed it in the top corner of the Ronan Bannon’s net.

A Paul O’Connor free a minute later brought the gap back to two points but Tiarnan Madden’s fourth converted free of the day showed that Gowna weren’t going to be over run. With pace and power Emmanuel Shehu sent over his second of the day with ten second half minutes played which turned out to be the final score of the third quarter. In a cagey final quarter the game lacked any real flow and sometimes quality. Conor Madden added to his earlier goal with a free as the Gaels defence decided that a foul was better to give away than another goal.

Emmanuel Shehu’s third point from play left the score 1-9 to 3-5 with four minutes remaining but two Gowna frees from Ryan Donohoe and Robbie Fitzpatrick meant that Cavan Gaels would need a goal to overturn the Gowna lead.

Four minutes into injury-time with no goal coming, the home side had to settle for a Paul O’Connor consolation point from a free before the final whistle sounded. Gowna now progress to the league final against Crosserlough on Friday night in Kingspan Breffni at 8pm.

Cavan Gaels: Alan O’Riordan, Eoghan Galligan, Barry Fortune, Levi Murphy, Shane Fortune, Luke Fortune (1-0), Niall Smith (0-1), Evan Fortune, Paul Graham, Emmanuel Shehu (0-3), Padraig Sexton, Daniel Graham, Jack Tully (0-1) , Martin Dunne (0-3,2f), Andrew Graham

Subs: Paul O’Connor(0-2f), Vinny Coyle, Daragh Sexton, Bradley Okapje

Gowna: Ronan Bannon, Cormac Brady, Mark McKeever, James Madden, Fionnan Brady, Conor Brady, Shane Hartin, Ryan Donohoe (1-1, 1f), Ryan Brady, Raymond Keogh, TJ Fitzpatrick, Tiarnan Madden (4f), Cian Madden, Conor Madden (1-1, 1f), Conor Casey (1-0) Subs: Ryan Madden, Robbie Fitzpatrick (0-1f).