Hurlers rue second-half collapse

Lory Meagher Cup

Cavan 1-10

Leitrim 4-16

Kevin Óg Carney at Kingspan Breffni

Cavan’s flagship hurlers are still searching for their first Lory Meagher Cup points after suffering a second successive defeat in the competition on Sunday last.

Neil Cole’s side were anxious to bounce back from defeat away to Monaghan last time out but, after a bright start, faltered badly after half-time to allow Leitrim to win pulling up.

Cavan were the better team for extended periods of the first half but the concession of two calamitous goals were a major help in hoisting the visitors into a 2-5 to 1-6 interval lead.

Leitrim carried a superior goal threat to Cavan and it took a combination of ‘keeper Niall Clerkin and Shane Briody to prevent the westerners’ number 5 Conor Hackett from finding the net as early as the 6th minute.

A good move seconds later from Cavan ended with Canice Maher firing over the opening point of the game and when Diarmaid Carney arrowed over one from over 50 metres and Fiachra Hughes did the same (8), the blues were 0-3 to 0-0 in front and looking good.

But after a Gavin O’Hagan free for the visitors, disaster struck Cavan in the 12th minute when Brendan Delaney scored the first of his three goals by beating three Cavan defenders in a scrummage to possession and poking the ball home to put his side into a 1-1 to 0-3 lead.

A swift bit of thinking by Sean Keating in the 16th minute saw the Ballinagh native take a free quickly and his smashing effort fairly flew into the Leitrim net to leave Cavan 1-3 to 1-1 in front.

However, Cavan continued to cough up possession far too easily and they were fortunate that Diarmuid Kelleher’s ‘screamer’ in the 24th minute whistled narrowly past the post.

The hosts got their noses back in front though with points (two) from Maher but after an O’Hagan point, Leitrim leaped into the lead once more when Sean Markham’s long range effort escaped the clutches of Cavan ‘keeper Clerkin in added-on time.

Leitrim meant business on the restart as they sought to consolidate their 2-5 to 1-6 interval lead and slowly but surely the game began to drift away from Cavan.

Despite a terrific Enda Shalvey point (38), Cavan were to go an incredible 23 minutes without adding to their tally. In contrast, Leitrim went on a scoring spree with some brilliant points from the likes of James McNabola (39) and the aforementioned Kelleher (43).

As things panned out, Cavan were left facing a 1-7 to 2-10 deficit entering the last quarter and, sadly, things didn’t get any better for the blues even though Joe Murray spurned a penalty opportunity for the visitors in the 56th minute.

However another Delaney goal (58) - after more sloppy defensive play – served to put the game all but beyond Cavan in trailing by 1-7 to 3-12.

Leitrim proved the hungrier and more cohesive team all through and when Delaney completed his hat-trick (64), Cavan’s goose was well and truly cooked with a Hughes brace in the run-in of purely cosmetic significance.

Cavan next face Lancashire this coming Sunday at Kingspan Breffni in a must-win match.

Cavan: Niall Clerkin; Shane Briody, Philip McCabe, Mark Moffett (0-1); Caolan Kelly, Matthew Hynes, Liam Óg Cooke; Diarmaid Carney (0-1), Jack Barry; Enda Shalvey (0-1) , Canice Maher (0-2), Eugene Hill; Sean Keating (1-0), Fiachra Hughes (0-3, 1f), Cillian Sheanon.

Subs; Dominic Crudden for P McCabe; Emmet Magee for S Keating; James Smith (0-2, 2f) for D Carney.

Leitrim: Clement Cunniffe; Paul Lenehan, David McGovern, Kevin Clerkin; Conor Hackett, Karl McDermott, James McNabola (0-4); Martin Feeney, Cathal O’Donovan; Brendan Delaney (3-0), Senan Keane, Gavin O’Hagan (0-5, 3f); Diarmuid Kelleher (0-1), Sean Markham (1-0), Joe Murray (0-6, 5f).

Subs; Liam Moreton for J McNabola; Gavin O’Brien for D Kelleher; Michael O’Brien for G O’Hagan.

Ref; J Connors (Donegal)