Killygarry overhaul Gaels in second half

SFC round 2

Killygarry 1-15

Cavan Gaels 0-14

The old adage of “a game of two halves” certainly applied to the clash of Cavan Gaels and Killygarry last Thursday night. The Gaels controlled the first but a younger, more energetic Killygarry owned the second half - and by a little bit more.

Kick-outs were the main problem for Killygarry in the first half as Cavan Gaels claimed all six of their own restarts while the Crubany-based side won only eight of their 15. At half-time, Jason O’Reilly’s side held a 0-11 to 0-5 lead but should have been significantly further ahead, having missed three easy point chances and two goal opportunities in that opening period.

Killygarry started well with a super score from Darragh Lovett but the Gaels soon took charge, Padraig Sexton – who had four well-taken first-half points – sent over when one-on-one. Paul O’Connor (free) registered his first before Jack Tully sent over after Paddy Galligan saved well from Luke Molloy.

O’Connor won and converted a free and although Lovett sped away to stick over his second, Sexton and Molloy (with a great strike) made it 0-6 to 0-2 with 11 minutes played. O’Connor added his third when he played a give-and-go with Sexton from a free followed by another Jack Tully point three minutes later.

With Killygarry trailing by six points and in truth lucky it wasn’t more, they produced a much need reply from a 45-metre free sent over the bar off the ground by Conor Smith. Martin Reilly then gathered a Smith free and curled over a point to leave four between the sides.

With nine minutes remaining in the half, the town side hit another run of scores, with Sexton leading them off. A well placed ball across the Killygarry goal mouth by Evan McIntyre was punched over by Jack Tully and Sexton claimed his fourth of the half with an attacking mark supplied by Luke Molloy.

As the game entered first half injury-time the Cavan Town-based side led by seven points having played some brilliant football with the Shehu brothers, Favour and Emmanuel, leading the charge from the back. A 13-metre Oisin Brady free clawed a point back for Terry Hyland’s side before the short whistle sounded.

A powerful and pacey run by Emmanuel Shehu brought him to the edge of the Killygarry D, three minutes after the restart and he clipped the ball over the bar with his left foot to restore the Gaels’ seven-point advantage. From the resulting kick-out Darragh Lovett sent over his third of the evening followed by a first point from half-time substitute Cian Keaney, who would be instrumental in the Killygarry comeback. A foul on Favour Shehu saw Paul O’Connor convert a free but a fisted point from Darragh Kennedy cancelled it out at the other end.

Lovett, now growing into the game, won a free for Brady to convert on the 12th minute of the second half, leaving just four points between the sides.

The comeback was almost complete two minutes later when good movement and quick hands saw Brady place a pass into Keaney’s hands, and his momentum freed him up for a shot which he placed into the corner of the net, leaving just one point between the sides.

The writing was on the wall at that stage as Killygarry set a pace that the Gaels couldn’t stay with. A classy point by Conor Smith on his left foot was matched by a Paul O’Connor free with nine minutes remaining but that was to be the Gaels’ final score of the game.

Conor Smith sold a dummy solo with insurance before fisting the ball over the bar to level the sides for the final time. Two Oisin Brady frees gave Killygarry the lead for the first time since the second minute of the game before Paul O’Connor missed a mark and sub Martin Dunne dropped a shot short for the Gaels.

In injury-time, Keaney and Lovett raised white flags to send Killygarry into a four-point lead. The Killygarry number 3, Conor Bates, was shown a black card and with five minutes injury-time played Evaan Fortune hit the Killygarry net but after consulting with his umpires, ref Pat Clarke cancelled the goal for an earlier infringement before sounding the final whistle.

Cavan Gaels: Patrick Murphy, Favor Shehu, John Fortune, Evan McIntyre, Emmanuel Shehu (0-1), Niall Murray, Levi Murphy, Luke Molloy(0-1), Evaan Fortune, Luke Fortune, Padraig Sexton (0-4, 1m), Andrew Graham, Jack Tully (0-3), Keenan Donohoe, Paul O’Connor (0-5,4f)

Subs: Niall Gurhy for E McIntyre (47), Declan Meehan for L Murphy (56), Martin Dunne for J Tully (60), Daniel Graham for A Graham (60), Leon Smith for P Sexton (60)

Killygarry: Patrick Galligan, Anselm Lovett, Conor Bates, Conor Connolly, Jamie McDonald, Cian Reilly, Jack Mooney, Darragh Kennedy (0-1), Mattie McKenna, Oisin Brady (0-4f), Conor Smith (0-3,1f), Daniel Walsh, Ross Sheridan, Darragh Lovett (0-4), Martin Reilly (0-1)

Subs: Cian Keaney (1-2) for J Mooney (ht), David Talbot for M Reilly (54), Ben Mooney for R Sheridan (59), Daryl McKenna for D Walsh (60)

Ref: Pat Clarke