Killygarry hang on for victory
SFC Report
Killygarry 1-17
Castlerahan 2-11
Killygarry led from pillar to post but yet came perilously close to having to accept stalemate at the death after a slow-to-the-boil opening round SFC clash at Cavan GAA HQ last Saturday evening.
With just less than 15 minutes left to play in the second half, Castlerahan looked almost dead and buried in trailing by 1-7 to 1-16 but a storming fightback had Killygarry back-peddling furiously as the finishing line came into sight.
Indeed, for a few seconds, it seemed as if Senan Macken had snatched a share of the spoils for the Bally'duff-based boys but the officials ruled that the Castlerahan number five was in the small square before he gathered a rebound off Killygarry ‘keeper Kian Hanney and squeezed the ball inside his near post.
The chaos which prompted a post-mortem from the match officials just as quickly as Castlerahan celebrations broke out represented an unlikely finale given that for at least three-quarters of the game Killygarry looked set for a comfortable victory.
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Ryan Brady wins possession as Senan Macken shadows his move. Photo: Adrian Donohoe.Image 2 of 11
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Conor Connolly breaks the ball from the hands of Jamie Clarke. Photo: Adrian Donohoe.Image 4 of 11
Darragh Noonan puts his foot throught the ball before John Linnane can challenge. Photo: Adrian Donohoe.Image 5 of 11
Mark McDermott. Photo: Adrian Donohoe.Image 6 of 11
Conor Farrelly gets a hand in at a critical moment as Darragh Noonan sets to shoot. Photo: Adrian Donohoe.Image 7 of 11
Ryan Brady and Jamie Clarke contest at midfield. Photo: Adrian Donohoe.Image 8 of 11
Mark McDermott slips away from the tackle of Luke Caldwell. Photo: Adrian Donohoe.Image 9 of 11
Darragh Noonan's shot goes past goalkeeper Kian Hanley and wide of the post. Photo: Adrian Donohoe.Image 10 of 11
Jack McCabe secures possession despit the best efforts of the Killygarry defence. Photo: Adrian Donohoe.Image 11 of 11
Fergal Reilly lays the ball off as Martin Reilly closes in. Photo: Adrian Donohoe.On the back of Killygarry's ACFL Division Two title triumph earlier this year coupled with Castlerahan's relegation from the top flight, the smart money was on a victory for the former in last weekend's championship opener but few in the decent-sized attendance could have foreseen the climax in-waiting.
Castlerahan trailed for the entire match and only found the momentum and bite to cause their opponents bother for a consistent period of time with the introduction of subs Enda Flanagan and Ciaran Caldwell in particular giving the chasing team much greater penetration in the dying stages.
Killygarry had carried a greater threat all through the vast majority of the match and looked the more dangerous moving forward with their superior speed-off-the-mark pivotal to giving them an edge on their immediate opponents.
See this week's Anglo-Celt newspaper for full match report.