Goal happy Laragh stroll past Lavey

It was goals that counted at Kingspan Breffni as Laragh left Lavey high and dry in a disappointing and rather predictable SFC derby duel on Saturday evening last.

In a first round tie that simmered without ever coming to the boil, Laragh had too much in the tank for their near-neighbours and had the look of winners from the moment in the 18th minute when they banged in their second goal to go eight points in front – against the wind blowing into the town end of the pitch.

Ironically, Lavey flew out off the starting blocks with one of their star men, Christopher Conroy, splitting the posts after just 28 seconds.

Sadly for the would-be losers, things went slowly, but surely, downhill from there with two classy points from Paul Smith putting United into a lead (0-2 to 0-1) that they never looked like relinquishing.

Two minutes after Smith’s second point (7), James Tully bravely followed in another Smith effort, leaping high to palm the ball over the bar.

Young Tully was unfortunate not to have found the net but Patrick Rudden had no such ill-luck when, in the space of 38 seconds, he notched two goals to turn the game irrevocably in Laragh’s favour.

Rudden’s first major arrived after Pauric O’Reilly got out in front of his marker for an incoming delivery and laid off the ball to Jack McKenna who in turn, unselfishly, put Rudden through to shoot to the Lavey net from point blank range to make it 1-3 to 0-2.

Lavey had scarcely had time to settle themselves when their opponents netted again with Pauric O’Reilly and Ciaran Cooney combining at the end of a move to allow Rudden to palm the ball home from the edge of the small square.

Laragh could have been out of sight in the 18th minute but after good work latterly by Stephen Cooney and James Tully, Rudden was through again but Lavey ‘keeper Conor Martin spread himself well to divert the ball around the post for a ’45 which was converted by Jack McKenna.

A fine point, under pressure, by Thomas Plunkett left two goals separating the sides with 21 minutes on the clock but, even at that early juncture, the feeling among the small crowd was that Lavey needed more than one goal to make them competitive.

Instead, Lavey remained largely under the cosh and working off the backfoot. Their cause wasn’t helped by the black carding of full-back Danny Cusack for a foul on the marauding Jack McKenna which saw ace freetaker Smith punish in appropriate fashion by tapping over the resultant free to help ease his side into a 3-6 to 0-5 interval lead.

Despite now facing into the teeth of the elements, Lavey showed much more aggression, passion and intelligence in the second half and thanks, in part, to some choice frees by Christopher Conroy kept in touch ‘till Jack McKenna palmed the ball to the Lavey net in the 40th minute after Paul Smith’s high delivery from the wing fell short.

McKenna’s major made it 4-8 to 0-8 and from then on the matter of Laragh’s winning margin remained the only question to be answered.

To their credit, Lavey dug in but their best work was confined to their own half and the middle third with their lack of potency up front telling throughout the match and duly reflected in their poor return from open play.

As Lavey pressed forward in forlorn hope of making a bigger indentation on the scoreboard, the openings at the business end of the field for Laragh increased but United were satisfied to take their points in what was a long but comfortable run for home.

Laragh Utd:

Fergal O’Rourke; Seán Tierney, Eoin Donohoe, Stephen Cooney; Ciarán Cooney, Jason Walsh, James Tully (0-3); Fergal McKenna, Shane O’Rourke; Evan Kelly (0-1), Paul Smith (0-7, 4f), Evan Brady (1-0); Jack McKenna (1-2, ’45), Patrick Rudden (2-1), Pauric O’Reilly.

Subs; Jake Mills for P O’Reilly; Dylan Adams for E Brady; Jamie Cooney for J Tully; Adrian Cooney for P Rudden.

Lavey:

Conor Martin; Declan Conroy, Danny Cusack, Orán Daly; Christopher Conroy (0-6, 5f), Paul Gilcreest, James McBreen, Callum Maguire; Thomas Plunkett (0-1); Darren Jordan (0-1, f), Aaron McCabe, Ronan King; Daragh Tierney (0-1), Karl Duke (0-1, m), Oisín Tynan.

Subs; Philip Smith for O Daly; Raymond King for C Maguire; Peter Smith for Aaron McCabe; Adam Tierney for D Tierney.