Cavan brush Déise aside to seal promotion and league final place

National League Division 4, round 7

Cavan 3-21

Waterford 0-10

Coming into this match, only a freak sequence of results would have denied Cavan promotion and a place in the Division 4 league final and the Blues rubber-stamped both here with a comfortable win over Waterford.

Back in 2006, the Déise stunned Cavan at the same venue at the same stage of the competition, denying the Breffni men promotion, but there was to be no repeat this evening as Mickey Graham’s men picked up their biggest win of the campaign.

Despite their position at the top of the table, the 2020 Ulster champions had been in stuttering form of late, losing to Tipperary and holding on to beat London by a point in a nerve finale at Ruislip six days earlier. However, Cavan hit the ground running here and once they got on top, they kept their foot on the pedal as they played their best football of the campaign.

In beautifully sunny conditions, the hosts had opened an eight-point lead by the 20th minute with an impressive attacking display.

Cavan had been guilty of slow build-up play in earlier matches but there was an urgency about their attacking here as they moved the ball at pace and looked to hit the inside forwards with early kick passes.

With James Smith relocated to the edge of the square and showing well, Cavan poured forward early on and should have been further ahead, registering four wides in the first seven minutes.

Cian Madden played a one-two with Smith and opened the scoring; Tom O’Connell levelled matters but Jason McLoughlin then fisted the lead score.

Waterford levelled again through O’Connell but a long range free from goalkeeper Raymond Galligan nudged the hosts in front and they would lead from there till the final whistle.

Paddy Lynch pointed after a neat pass from Conor Moynagh created the chance and from a setpiece kick-out, Gerry Smith landed the next as Cavan began to hum.

And the key score of the half arrived moments later when Thomas Galligan found the net with a brilliant finish.

His cousin Raymond converted a 45 and another free from distance as Cavan pulled away and by half-time, the gap had widened to 10, 1-10 to 0-4, after further points from Lynch, James Smith (mark) and yet another superb free from Raymond Galligan, with O’Connell and Jason Curry frees all that the visitors could muster in response.

Curry pointed from another free on the resumption but Cavan were playing with abandon – having not broken the 20-point mark in the six earlier games, Graham’s side landed their highest tally in years by the end and could afford a dozen wides – and were not going to be caught.

Patrick Lynch and Brian Lynch pointed for their respective sides, both with quality efforts, but a free from Gearoid McKiernan and a trademark outside-of-the-boot Moynagh effort made it a 10-point game.

Curry and McKiernan traded scores but Cavan were growing more dominant as the contest progressed and further white flags from Luke Fortune, McKiernan (three, two frees) and the excellent Raymond Galligan made it 1-19 to 0-8 and ensured the closing stages were elementary.

A 40-metre Thomas Galligan point saw Cavan hit their 20th single and they struck gold when sub Caoimhin O’Reilly hit the net with a spectacular high finish.

O’Reilly tacked on a point and although Jason Curry and James Walsh responded for the Déise, good work from sub Ryan O’Neill set McKiernan up for a smartly-finished goal in injury time as the home side secured a return to Division 3 and a league final place with 20 points to spare.

Cavan: Raymond Galligan (0-5, 4f, 45), Benjamin Kelly, Padraig Faulkner, Killian Brady, Jason McLoughlin (0-1), Conor Moynagh (0-1), Luke Fortune (0-1), James Smith (0-1m), Killian Clarke, Gerard Smith (0-1), Gearoid McKiernan (1-5, 3f), Cian Madden (0-1), Thomas Galligan (1-1), Paddy Lynch (0-3), Stephen Smith

Subs: Niall Murray for Kelly (ht), Cian Reilly for K Brady (ht), Chris Conroy for McLoughlin (41 mins), Caoimhin O’Reilly (1-1) for Lynch (55), Ryan O’Neill for Madden (60)

Waterford: Paudie Hunt, Craig Burke, Darach Ó Cathasaigh, Aaron Jones, Jordan O’Sullivan, Dylan Guiry, Brian Looby, Jason Curry (0-4, 3f), Michael Curry, Conor Murray, James O’Leary, James Walsh (0-1), Tom O’Connell (0-3, 1f), David Halihan, Brian Lynch (0-2)

Subs: Stephen Curry for James O’Leary (15 mins), David Meehan for O’Sullivan (ht), Darragh Corcoran for Halihan (ht), Sean Boyce for Looby (60)

Ref: Kevin Faloon (Armagh)