Late flurry sees Swad home against Mountnugent

JFC round 4

Swanlinbar 1-21

Mountnugent 1-17

Eddie Halligan at Emmet Park

Swanlinbar needed a late flurry to eventually see off the challenge of a game Mountnugent side in a cracking round four clash in sun-kissed Emmet Park, Butlersbridge on Sunday afternoon last.

Swanlinbar kept Mountnugent at arm’s length for the majority of the contest and were full value in leading 1-17 to 0-14 with ten minutes remaining, but the men in the green and gold caught fire and levelled the tie at 1-17 apiece with Aidan O’Brien raising the green flag. All of a sudden, Mountnugent’s ambitions of sealing a quarter final place looked a real possibility.

However, Swanlinbar refused to wilt and showed excellent composure when the game was in the melting pot, with key marksman Ruairi Curran and Breffni O’Reilly combining to score 0-4 between them to push the west Cavan men over the line.

Ciaran Caffrey, who gave a terrific display which saw him post 0-10, grabbed two quick frees early doors as Mountnugent started with intent, but Swanlinbar, playing with the wind, soon settled, and after placed kicks from Breffni O Reilly and centre-forward Seamus O’Reilly levelled the contest, they moved two in front thanks to a brilliant two-pointer from Cillian Murray.

A minute later, Ruairi Curran got himself on the scoresheet after Mountnugent were overturned when on the attack by Gearoid Scollan to lead 0-5 to 0-2, but direct from the kickout, captain Robbie McCabe rose highest to catch cleanly and immediately set up his midfield counterpart, Ramon Finnegan, on the attack which Finnegan duly obliged in firing over.

Garbhan McGoldrick replied with a fisted score in the 14th minute, but Mountnugent almost raised the green flag when Ned Brunton pierced the Swanlinbar defence to find Aidan O’Brien with the half forward bulging the side netting from a close distance.

Midway through the second half, Murray raised the orange flag with another superb two pointer, however Mountnugent were keeping Swanlinbar honest with Eamonn Carty replying with a two pointer of his own from a free before Finnegan popped up again to slot over to put two between them at 0-8 to 0-6. Seamus O’Reilly floated over his second point for Swanlinbar after a well-orchestrated move, but Mountnugent were winning the midfield battle which provided the platform for their attacking threats and when Caffrey found himself unmarked after possession was won at midfield, he quickly punted a pass into Carty in the full forward line, received the return and curled over a beauty.

Swanlinbar proceeded to finish the first half strongly however, as a brace of points from Breffni O’Reilly, including a free, and another long range effort from Murray put the men in blue 0-12 to 0-8 in front, with Carty briefly replying for Mountnugent and Swanlinbar’s control on the game tightened further as captain Sean McGovern latched onto an end of a flowing move including Murray and Chris Curran to rifle home.

Caffrey finished off the first half with a point after Darragh Hennessey did well to engineer space for the assist to leave Swanlinbar well in command at 1-12 to 0-9 at the interval.

Ruairi Curran and Ciaran McCabe exchanged scores in the early stages of the second half before another brace of points from Breffni O’Reilly pushed Swanlinbar eight to the good at 1-15 to 0-10 by 39th minute as it seemed inevitable that the West Cavan men would use their youthful energy to kick on, but Mountnugent to their credit, hung in.

Two Caffrey frees including one being a two pointer, brought the gap back to five at 1-15 to 0-13 before Scollan glided through the Mountnugent defence after good advantage allowed by referee Jim Giblin to curl over. Breffni O’Reilly and Caffrey traded frees as the game entered into the last ten minutes, but Mountnugent rallied and after a free from Carty and a superb two-pointer from play from Caffrey saw only three between the teams with Mountnugent evidently growing in confidence.

With momentum on their side, Mountnugent went for the jugular and after Ned Brunton did brilliantly in using his pace to cause Swanlinbar some uncomfortable moments, his pass found Aidan O Brien, but the half-forward still had work to do to engineer some space, however in doing so, he rifled home which ignited a huge roar from the Mountnugent contingent in attendance.

However, Swanlinbar showed admirable coolness under pressure and two points each from Curran and Breffni O’Reilly finished Mountnugent off and ensured Swanlinbar will enter the quarter final stages with momentum firmly on their side.

Swanlinbar: Fergal McGovern, James McGovern, Oisin Gilheaney, Chris Curran, Adrian McGovern, Bhreifne McKiernan, Mark O Reilly, Sean McGovern (1-0), Gearoid Scollan (0-1), Ruairi Curran (0-4), Seamus O Reilly (0-2, 1f), Garbhan McGoldrick (0-1), Cillian Murray (0-5, 2 2pt), Breffni O Reilly (0-8, 5f), Ezra McGovern

Subs: Damian Leydon for Chris Curran

Mountnugent: Daniel Gilmore, Christy Drumm, Owen Gibson, Thomas McCabe, Conor O Brien, Ciaran McCabe (0-1), Eoin Campbell, Robbie McCabe, Ramon Finnegan (0-2), Aidan O Brien (1-0), Eamonn Carty (0-4, 1 2pt f, 1f), Ciaran Caffrey (0-10, 4f, 1 2pt, 1 2pt f), Ned Brunton, David Sheridan, Daragh Hennessy