’Lough return to the summit of senior football
The Anglo-Celt Community & Sports Awards, in partnership with Mannok and Kingspan, will take place this evening in the Cavan Crystal Hotel. Crosserlough Senior Men's team are finalists for Team of the Year...
Crosserlough GFC, one of the most famous clubs in the county, returned to the pinnacle of Cavan football in 2024, capturing the Oliver Plunkett Cup for the first time since 2020 with a powerful and disciplined performance throughout the championship. Under the guidance of manager Ryan Daly and selector Archie Beattie, both from Tyrone, the Kilnaleck-based club overcame formidable opposition, culminating in a gritty final against Ramor United at Kingspan Breffni.
The decider was played in difficult conditions, with wind and rain making scoring opportunities hard to come by. Despite the adverse weather, Crosserlough’s tactical discipline shone through, as they implemented a direct, physical game plan that ultimately wore down their opponents.
The star of the final was undoubtedly Conor Rehill, whose influence was felt across the pitch. Rehill, whose imposing physical presence and pinpoint deliveries were critical in breaking down Ramor’s defence, was awarded the Man of the Match accolade for his commanding display. It was Rehill’s booming, wind-assisted free in the second half that broke the game open, going all the way to the net. That score proved to be the decisive blow as Crosserlough held on to seal a 2-6 to 0-4 victory.
Daly took charge with a clear objective of reclaiming the county title; for a club like Crosserlough, that is the goal at the outset of every season.
They achieved this with a storming run through the campaign. In the group stage, the ’Lough defeated Lavey (4-14 to 0-6), Laragh United (2-18 to 0-6), Ballinagh (2-15 to 0-11) and Mullahoran (2-14 to 0-8).
In the quarter-final, Ballinagh fell again (3-13 to 0-6) before Crosserlough edged Cavan Gaels by 0-10 to 0-8 to set up a final tilt with Ramor United, whom they defeated by 2-6 to 0-4.
Crosserlough’s victory not only ended their four-year wait for county honours but also secured them a spot in the Ulster Club Championship, where they faced the formidable Kilcoo side from Down. Despite their underdog status, Crosserlough delivered one of their most memorable performances of the season, pushing Kilcoo to the brink in a high-quality and controversial encounter in Newry.
The Dr Plunkett Park club are one of the most progressive in the county and also excel at camogie and ladies football in all grades, having picked up senior titles in both of those codes in recent years too.
The Crosserlough team for the county final was: Shane McManus, John Cooke, Conor Rehill (1-0), Fionn Lovett, Cian Boylan, Patrick O’Reilly, Kieran Smith, Emmett Boylan (0-2, 1f), Peter Smith, Oran Rehill, Dara McVeety, Harry Boylan, Brandon Boylan (0-1f), James Smith (0-1), Matthew Costello (0-1f)
Subs: Eoin Cusack for O Rehill (44), Stephen Smith for E Boylan (50), David Shalvey for K Smith (57), Ryan Galligan for P Smith (60)
With special thanks to our partners and sponsors in these awards - Mannok, Kingspan, Sherry FitzGerald Declan Woods, Cavan Crystal Hotel, Dovida, Kyte Powertech, CICS Silo Clean and Joe Rowley Windows