McEvoy's goal crucial as Ramor grind it out

SFC semi-final

Ramor United 1-9

Cavan Gaels 0-11

Ramor United qualified for their third Senior Championship final in six years as they ground out a win by the minimum margin against Cavan Gaels.

This was mostly a very poor spectacle, full of sloppy play on both sides. Yet had a neutral walked into the stadium in time for Sean McEvoy’s brilliant goal on 48 minutes, they’d have come away thinking this match was a classic as the last dozen minutes produced high drama and 1-10 in scores.

However, to that point, only 0-10 had been scored as both teams went long spells without troubling the umpires. Mirroring each other’s defensive set-ups, there was little in the way of excitement for long passages of play, with the wintry conditions also making things difficult for the players.

Ramor started very well and looked much the better side in the opening quarter of an hour. Sean McEvoy, who was influential throughout, intercepted a kick-out and goalkeeper Alan O’Riordan did well to turn his lobbed effort over the bar for the first score.

Both teams carved out further goalscoring chances, with Liam Brady stopping a Paul Graham effort and Shane Fortune cutting out a Simon Cadden shot on the goal line.

A short 45 from McEvoy was curled over the bar by Ado Cole as Ramor, playing with the wind at their backs, looked threatening early on.

After Mattie Magee made a turnover in the Ramor half-back line, they moved the ball forward at pace and Cole found James Brady for a quality point and when Brady curled in a difficult free, Ray Cole’s side with 0-4 to 0-0 ahead with the clock showing 14 minutes.

Inexplicably, however, they would fail to score for the next 31 minutes as the Gaels managed to edge in front in what was an attritional, dogged but drab contest during this spell.

Kieran Donnelly’s side finally got off the mark on 21 minutes when Gearoid McKiernan pointed a free after a foul on Paul O’Connor and they doubled their tally when Robert Maloney-Derham clipped over six minutes before the break.

Ramor went in at the interval holding a 0-4 to 0-2 lead but the Gaels soon set about eating into it, with the impressive Jack Tully winning a high ball from Shane Fortune and pointing on the turn for their third.

Six minutes into the half, McKiernan – now at full-forward – converted a free to tie the game but Ramor would nudge ahead again just before the second water break when sub Levi Murphy coughed up possession to Jack Brady and Sean McEvoy punished the Gaels with a point.

On the resumption, Luke Molloy made a mark and converted very well from the wing to level the match again at 0-5 apiece. Then came the defining score of the contest.

A nice ball from sub Cathal Maguire played Cadden into space. His lay-off to Ado Cole was perfectly placed; Cole off-loaded to McEvoy who took it at full pace, did wonderfully well to ride a challenge and keep his feet and blast high to the net.

Suddenly, Ramor were three to the good but Cavan Gaels’ response was magnificent. They dug deep and mustered up five points unanswered to take control.

Andy Graham passed to McKiernan for the first, then sub Stephen Murray used his pace to create an opening which McKiernan, on the loop, again finished.

The big county man, free of the shackles of Brían O’Connell who had picked up a knock, then thumped over a free from 50 metres; the resulting kick-out came straight back in and Tully found sub Niall Murray for another.

And when youngster Tully curled one in himself from 35 metres, it was 0-10 to 1-5 and, with seven minutes to play, there seemed likely to be only one winner.

Ramor, though, were not for folding. A good run from McEvoy saw him win a free which James Brady converted. Cathal Maguire then curled in a spectacular point on the run to tie the game and when Ramor won the resulting kick-out, sub Gareth Mannion found James Brady, who used all his skill to squeeze over a point from a tight spot.

Back came Cavan Gaels, McKiernan splitting the posts with an excellent effort while falling away.

Ramor pressed again but Cathal Maguire and Mannion were off target. As the match entered injury time, though, McEvoy, the youngest player on the Ramor team, stood up again as he used his pace to tear in along the end-line and fist over the winning score.

Cavan Gaels: Alan O’Riordan, John Fortune, Barry Fortune, Shane Fortune, Darragh Sexton, Kevin Meehan, Luke Fortune, Robert Maloney-Derham (0-1), Paul Graham, Niall Smith, Gearoid McKiernan (0-6, 3f), Luke Molloy (0-1m), Padraig Sexton, Paul O’Connor, Jack Tully (0-2)

Subs: Niall Murray (0-1) for O’Connor (44), Levi Murphy for Meehan (44), Andrew Graham for P Sexton (45), Stephen Murray for D Sexton (48)

Ramor United: Liam Brady, Lorcan Lynch, Brían O’Connell, Matthew Magee, Adam O’Connell, Jack Brady, Mark Magee, Laurence Caffrey, Enda Maguire, Ben Smith, Sean McEvoy (1-3), Simon Cadden, James Brady (0-4, 2f), Ado Cole (0-1), Paddy McNamee

Subs: Cathal Maguire (0-1) for McNamee (29 mins), Gareth Mannion for B Smith (41), Killian Maguire for Caffrey (54)

Ref: Oliver Óg O’Reilly