Cuchulainns defeat Lavey in IFC opener

IFC round 1

Cuchulainns 3-10

Lavey 0-15

Paul Fitzpatrick at Dolan Park

Timely goals saw many people’s championship favourites, Cuchulainns, run out four-point winners over Lavey in this Intermediate Championship opener at Virginia last evening.

While it was entertaining and featured some fine scores, this match never really got going, with the large crowd unusually subdued for some reason and both sides guilty of some sub-standard play, particularly their shooting.

These sides had contrasting league campaigns, both in Division 1 – Cuchulainns finished fourth while Lavey ended up in a relegation final, in which they beat neighbours Laragh in the fifth meeting between those sides in the last 12 months.

Based on league form, then, Cuchulainns were favourites but Lavey were down a grade after an unbroken 16-year run in senior ranks, having been demoted last season.

Cuchulainns were the better team in the first half but it wasn’t until a Glenn McCann goal in injury time that was it was reflected on the scoreboard. Niall Lynch’s men had, by that stage, kicked six wides, most of them scoreable, to Lavey’s two and spurned a great goal chance five minutes before the break.

Lavey started full of energy and were 0-4 to 0-1 ahead after 10 minutes, with Daragh Tierney supplying three of those points, all from play.

In perfect conditions before a large crowd, Tierney kicked an impressive opening point in heavy traffic and although McCann fisted over at the other end, Lavey – who are under the management of Gary Donohoe – pushed on thereafter.

Daragh Tierney kicked his second after Chris Conroy forced a turnover; their third score, from Shane Tierney, was similar in that Cuchulainns fumbled possession coming out and Lavey punished them.

Daragh Tierney made it 0-4 to 0-1 when he beat a defender and fired over off the left. Niall Magee showed a great turn of pace to race clear for an excellent point off the left but when Daragh Tierney was fouled Aaron McCabe knocked over the resulting free and all was going swimmingly for Lavey with the first quarter complete.

Cuchulainns had already registered four wides at that stage and looked out of sorts but they burst into life with a superb goal; Ryan Tobin did well to find Adam O’Reilly, who cut through the centre and finished coolly to the bottom right corner to tie the game.

Cuchulainns then put together a click move which was started by a Niall Carolan interception and finished by Adam O’Reilly as they hit the front for the first time. A softish free for Evan Doughty followed but a chance to put clear daylight between the sides was spurned by Magee, who was played into space but shot straight at onrushing goalkeeper Conor Martin.

Aaron McCabe pulled one back for Lavey – who were without injured county man Gerry Smith - with a brilliant strike from the left wing to make it a one-point but they suffered another hammer blow in the dying seconds of the half.

Cuchulainns attacked up the right and the Lavey defence were drawn to the ball, leaving Glenn McCann unmarked at the back post – a simple side-step and he was able to roll the ball into the net at his ease to leave it 2-4 to 0-6 at the midway point.

On the resumption, Cuchulainns squandered another goal chance through Doughty and although Niall Magee kicked another eye-catching score after a Lavey 45 dropped short, the New Inns men cut the gap with two frees from Chris Conroy – the first was from two-point range but Adrian Taite managed to get a hand on it on the way over to reduce it to a single and the second was a fantastic two-pointer from the right wing which rose the crowd.

But as the half wore on, Lavey, now shooting into the dressing-room end, began to miss chances too, with Conroy off target with a couple of frees.

Eleven minutes into the second half, it was back to a one-point game when Thomas Plunkett drove through a small gap and pointed but Cuchulainns responded well, Ryan Tobin making a huge catch and Doughty fisting over.

Magee scorched through for his third from play after good work from Philip Smyth but Cuchulainns recorded four wides in succession – they would finish with 11 – to keep a hard-working Lavey in the game.

Lavey captain James McBreen, under pressure, sent over a great point as the match entered the final 10 minutes. It was anyone’s game at this point, with Cuchulainns looking a little jittery, but they were dealt a slice of luck when Bryan Magee bundled home a goal at the back post after Turlough Farrelly’s shot dropped short.

That made it 3-7 to 0-11 but Lavey came again, Conroy converting a free after Daragh Tierney was fouled and McBreen blasting over another big score.

Mark Gilsenan and Shane Tierney (with a stylish effort) traded scores before Daragh Tierney kicked his fourth quality point to leave a goal in it entering injury time.

But Cuchulainns finished the stronger, Doughty converting two frees in the dying moments to secure the win.

While Cuchulainns will be delighted to get the win and showed their undoubted quality at times, it felt somewhat unconvincing and they never really shook Lavey off. However, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and improvement should be forthcoming over the remainder of the campaign.

Lavey, for their part, leaked 24 goals in their 12 group games in the league and that tendency to ship green flags was the losing of this game. However, down five or more starting players, they battled well and with a reasonable draw, will still be expected to be expected to make the last eight. At full strength, they probably won’t be far away either but, simplistic as it sounds, they will need to stop conceding goals.

Lavey: Conor Martin; Aaron Lynch, David Conroy, Danny Cusack; Daragh Tierney (0-4), James McBreen (0-2), Finn Buckley; Thomas Plunkett (0-1), Paul Gilcreest; Darragh Conaty, Chris Conroy (0-5, 3f, 2ptf), Adam Tierney; Aaron McCabe (0-2, 1f), Shane Tierney (0-1), Peter Smith

Subs: Ronan King for A Tierney (53)

Cuchulainns: Ryan Lennon; Luke Doyle, Niall Carolan, Cian Doughty; Oisin Carolan, Philip Smyth (C), Ryan Tobin; Bryan Magee (1-0), Adrian Taite; Adam O’Reilly (1-1), Evan Doughty (0-4, 3f), Niall Magee (0-3); Glenn McCann (1-1), Mark Gilsenan (0-1), Conor O’Reilly

Subs: Turlough Farrelly for C O’Reilly (47), O Donoghue for O Carolan, Cillian McCabe for A Taite (both 53), Sean Kenny for G McCann (56), Micheál Kenny for A O’Reilly (57)

Ref: John Power