Same old story, same old Gaels
March 01, 2010In 2009, Cavan Gaels were quoted as 4-6 favourites by the bookies as they set out to defend their SFC title.
By the end of the past year, the Gaels showed themselves to be almost invincible-like on the domestic front as they sashayed their way to the title.
Last year's facile blue riband final win over Denn witnessed the Gaels completing their second three-in-a-row of the decade.
2009 also witnessed the return of the group format, replacing the All-Ireland style knock-out system with all its backdoor connotations.
Still, the same old familar story unfolded. Whatever the system, it seems the county town kingpins have got it sussed.
The Gaels won the '09 SFC pulling up really. They moved through the gears oh so slowly before slipping into fourth for the county final itself.
They made their intentions clear by topping the group with the minimum of fuss, starting off with a 0-12 to 1-5 win over Mullahoran in mid-June at Kingspan/Breffni Park before routing Ballinagh (3-24 to 1-12) and Crosserlough in the process.
Against a rapidly-improving Redhills side in the quarter-final, they led at one stage by 1-10 to 0-4 before winning eventually by five points.
Thereafer talk abounded that Killygarry would put it up to the champions-elect in the penultimate round but the Gaels overcame a sluggish opening ten minutes to power home by ten points, courtesy of a ruthless second half performance in front of the posts in particular.
Such was the Gaels' dominance en route to their county final appearance with Denn, that they averaged a 10.6 points winning margin in their five ties.
As things panned out in the county decider, it was all too easy once again for the defending champions at Kingspan/Breffni Park as they romped to a none-too flattering 1-20 to 2-11 victory over Denn.
The game was a breeze for the Gaels with a massive 13 points separating the sides just eight minutes into the second half, leaving an air of inevitability hanging over proceedings from there to the finish.
In capturing their sixth title in the last seven years, the county town side put on a real show and only a spirited 1-4 unanswered tally either side of the three-quarter mark plus a goal in the dying seconds saved Denn from utter embarrassment.
The Gaels' greater mobility, cutting edge and confidence gave them a vice-like grip on proceedings from the get-go with Cormac Nelligan pointing in the 11th minute to make it five points from six attempts at goal for the county town side as the led 0-5 to 0-1 at that juncture.
Denn desperately needed a goal to give them a lifeline but, instead, it was with man-of-the match Micheal Lyng who goaled in the 22nd minute to propel the Gaels into a 1-10 to 0-5 interval lead.
The defending champions continued to play with a swagger and a large degree of authority after the restart with a brace of points apiece from stand-out Lyng and Eamon Reilly hoisting the leaders into an astonishing 1-16 to 0-6 lead after just 38 minutes.
To their credit, Denn launched some spirited defence between the 39th and 49th minutes when they scored an unanswered 1-4, cutting the Gaels' lead to a more manageable six points, 1-16 to 1-10, with 11 minutes remaining.
Denn's mini-fightback was the cue though for the odds-on favourites to go up through the gears once more and Cormac Nelligan's free (52nd) duly stopped the rot and Denn's momentum into the bargain.
>From there to the finish, the game was an evenly-contested affair but with a great air of inevitability firmly attached to its underbelly.
Denn did find the net again on the hour mark but it was a score which had the word consolation stamped all over it.
Cavan Gaels (2009 SFC final v Denn);
E Elliott; K Crotty, D Rabbitt, J Gurhy; G Duffy (0-1), E Reilly (0-2), D Graham; C Collins (0-1), A Forde; D Reilly, M Lyng (1-2), P O'Donnell; S Johnston (0-5, one free), C Nelligan (0-5, two frees), M Dunne (0-2).
Subs; N Murray for P O'Donnell (39); P Smith (0-1) for J Gurhy (46); R Maloney for M Dunne (53); K Meehan (0-1) for S Johnston (57).
A couple of weeks later, the Ulster club championship came calling but the club's ambitions were sunk on the back of a 1-10 to 1-12 defeat, after extra-time, at Kingspan/Breffni Park.
The Antrim kingpins hit 20 horrendous wides over the 70 minutes but had still too much firepower for a Gaels side who self-imploded after the elapse of normal time.
The Cavan champions finished with only 12 men after Anthony Forde, Nicholas Walsh and Karl Crotty all saw red in separate incidents in a thoroughly fractious clash.
The game was punctuated all to often by misdemeanours off-the-ball to the extent that by the 25th minute, six bookings were meted out by referee Higgins, four to the hosts.
The football was no less patchy and fractured with St.Galls' ability to hoover up the plethora of breaks in the vital diamond area being negated by their atrocious shooting which matched the weather.
Seasoned intercounty players Terry O'Neill and Sean Kelly made hay in the drizzle from the numerous spillages that pock-marked the exchanges but their two first half points did little to mask the Saints' unforgiveable nine first half wides.
St. Galls trailed (0-2 to 1-3) at half-time after Walsh had goaled for the blues but CJ McGourty's spot-kick (47th) and Eamon Reilly's dismissal 90 seconds served to turn the tie in the Saints' favour.
Earlier, CJ McGourty looked destined to plunder a goal in the 9th minute for the winners-elect but he slipped just as he pulled the trigger from the edge of the small square and the chance was lost.
Antrim's finest were to engage in a game of squandermania over the 70 minutes-plus but McGourty's penalty conversion - after Gaels' 'keeper Elliott was penalised for overcarrying - proved a major turning point.
Indeed, the Saints looked on their way to a meeting with Armagh champions Pearse Og at the first time of asking only for Paraic Reilly's point on the hour mark for the Gaels sent the game into extra-time.
The tit-for-tat nature of the game continued unabated into extra-time but Karl Stewart's 67th minute point and the dismissal, for dissent, of Forde moments later served as a double whammy for the hosts.
Worse was to follow for Mick O'Dowd's men points from CJ McGourty and Karl Stewart sandwiched a fine Daniel Graham point (73rd) but once Conor McClarey's snap shot two minutes later richocheted off the 'Galls' post, home supporters feared the worst.
To the Gaels' chagrin their complement of players nose-dived to 12 late on with Walsh and Crotty also seeing red as ref. Martin Higgins laboured to keep a lid on matters.
To their credit, the Gaels battled hard to secure redemption in the dying minutes but St. Galls' discipline and nerve proved best see them through to the last four of the competition.
Cavan Gaels (2009 Ulster club quarter-final v St. Gall's):
E Elliott; K Crotty, D Rabbitte, J Gurhy; G Duffy, E Reilly, D Graham (0-1); C Collins (0-1), A Forde; D Reilly (0-1), M Lyng, S Johnston (0-3); M Dunne, C Nelligan, N Walsh (1-1).
Subs; N Murray (0-1) for M Dunne; P Smith (0-1) for G Duffy; P O'Donnell (0-1) (extra-time); R Maloney-Derham for D Reilly; K Meehan for J Gurhy; D Reilly for C Nelligan; C McClarey for Maloney-Derham.
Underage titles add to cabinet
Meanwhile on the underage front, there was much to be admired once again with the club's rising stars adding to the replenishment of its trophy cabinet in typically stylish and polished style during the past year.
A hat-trick of titles were won with the under 16s notching a delightful double while the under 12s scooped the Roinn A league title.
The youngest crew of the aforementioned triumvirate of squads set the ball rolling with a terrificly convincing campaign culminating in the final in June.
Played at Kingspan on the 22nd of the month, the county town starlets romped to an emphatic 6-13 to 0-6 win over an overwhelmed Ramor Utd side.
Ironically, the Virginia-based side opened the scoring with a fine point in the 3rd minute but that was to be the one and only time they would lead.
Less than a minute after Ramor's opener, the would-be winners levelled following a flowing move which was to be emblematic of their entire display.
Good defending by Shane Fortune saw the ball carried on by Gavin Sherlock and Keenan Donoghue before Ross Reilly added the finishing touch.
>From there on, the lights remained largely stuck on green with further scores coming initially from Shane McDermott and Keenan Donoghue.
The Gaels continued to stretch their legs and when Dylan McMullen found the net - after Cian Hughes' shot was blocked - Ramor were left reeling.
Young McMullen's 6th minute goal seemed to knock a bit of the stuffing out of the losers-elect but a super Keenan Donoghue goal was a real killer.
Now 2-4 to 0-1 in front, the blues were in full flow and Ryan Smith and Ross Reilly showed a lot of confidence in rifling over a point apiece.
To their credit, Ramor worked very hard to stay in touch and a lovely left footed effort by James Brady gave them the merest glimmer of hope.
Another point from Ramor moments later gave the Gaels another reminder but that was as good as it got for the gutsy underdogs.
The game was all but over as a contest by half-time after a stunning finish by Keenan Donoghue left the Gaels ahead by 3-6 to 0-4 and coasting.
Once again, it was Ramor who were quickest off the blocks as the second half got underway but, rather than a goal, they had to make do with a free.
Like all good champions, their opponents' dying kicks prompted the Gaels to step on the gas and a Ryan Smith goal quickly followed.
Points were notched in quick succession then by Shane McDermott and two each from Keenan Donoghue and Ross Reilly in the dregs of the game.
Ramor kept plugging away at their damage limitation exercise and a point halted the tide momentarily only for the Gaels to finish with a flourish.
A brace of goals from Aoghan McKiernan served to rub salt into Ramor's gaping wound and confirm the immense promise of the blues' finest.
Cavan Gaels (U12 Roinn A League final v Ramor Utd): Roland Surlis; Aaron O'Rourke, Shane Fortune, Stephen Shalvey, Jermaine O'Rourke, Luke Fortune, Paul Sexton, James Veale, Gavin Sherlock, Ross Reilly, Cian Hughes, Dylan McMullen, Ryan Smith, Keenan Donoghue, Shane McDermott.
Subs used; Aoghan McKiernan; Christopher Cusack; Killian McCahill; Stephen McDonald.
U16s' delightful double
The following month it was the turn of the club's sparkling under 16s to show the rest a clean pair of heels in the Division One League competition.
The final saw the Gaels cross swords with Kingscourt at Kingspan/Breffni Park on July 17th with the former easing their way home by 1-14 to 1-8.
It was a well-contested county decider and featured some super open, fluid but highly competitive football of a high calibre.
The Paul Graham-captained side posted notice of their intention to seize the silverware on offer by fairly flying out of the traps on the opening whistle.
The Gaels registered six unanswered points in the opening 25 minutes as they grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and threatened to run riot.
However the Stars were made of stern stuff and they produced a stirring second half performance which tested the Gaels' resolve and ambition.
Early points from Cian McKiernan and another from Stephen Murray had the Gaels in their stride in double-quick time and Kingscourt on the backfoot.
With Cian Donohoe acting out the role of the 'roving corner-forward' to a tee, the Gaels hoovered up plenty of ball and were wont to use it wisely.
The intensity of the Gaels' attacks remained unrelenting while the team's midfielders and defence adopted a 'not an inch' stance at all times.
Trailing by 0-0 to 0-6, Kingscourt finally opened their account with a point in the 26th minute but the Stars' surge was killed at birth.
Predictably, the Gaels had the final say in the first half with Vincent Coyle knocking over a fine free to leave his side 0-7 to 0-1 in front at the interval.
Kingcourt never gave up the fight and they managed to cut the Gaels' lead to four points but then a Liam Fitzsimons point stemmed the Stars' tide.
With 12 minutes left to play, the county town side led by 0-9 to 0-7 before Andrew Graham tapped over a free to restore the three point gap.
Three minutes later, arguably the game's most crucial score arrived when Paul Graham notched a tremendous solo goal afer a lung-bursting run.
Graham and co later made it 1-13 to 0-8 and while Kingscourt banged in a goal late on, it was a classic case of too little too late to deny the Gaels.
Cavan Gaels (U16 Division One League final v Kingscourt); Richie Murray; Barry Fortune, Cathal Cronin, Daniel Mulligan; Vincent Coyle (0-3), Kevin Brady (0-1), Gary Farrelly; Paul Graham (1-1), Cian McKiernan (0-1); Kevin Johnston, Stephen Murray (0-2), Padraic Sexton (0-1); Cian Donohoe, Liam Fitzsimons (0-1), Andrew Graham (0-4).
Subs; Shane Clarke; Cian Mulligan; Josh McClorey.
Things weren't quite so claustrophobic later in mid-October when the same squad met Castlerahan in the corresponding championship final.
As things panned out at Kingspan/Breffni Park, a five-star display by the Gaels' U16s was enough to see off the maroon and whites by 6-16 to 1-5.
From the get-go, lent an air of predictability about the destination of the Division One Championship title.
Castlerahan were pinned up against the ropes for most of the opening moiety and, despite the fact that was little or no breeze of any consequence, it was all of eight minutes into the game before the maroon and whites succeeded in getting the ball into their opponents' half.
After Oisin Sheridan pointed after 19 seconds, Cavan Gaels proceeded to ratchet up the pressure on their opponents in Usain Bolt-like fashion.
With surgical precision, the blues flew into a 1-5 to 0-0 lead after 11 minutes with Stephen Murray racing across the byline in the 5th minute before placing Kevin Johnston for the opening goal which helped leave the Ballyjamesduff-based side 0-3 to 1-5 in arrears by the end of the first quarter.
Sadly for the match underdogs, things were to get progressively worse for them with Kevin Johnston's fisted effort in the 19th minute turning the screw on the Ballyjamesduff-based crew.
Leading by 2-8 to 0-3 on the restart, the Gaels showed all the killer instinct and ambition redolent of really true champions as the second half got underway.
All belonging to Castlerahan breathing a collective sigh of relief after just 11 seconds as speedster Stephen Murray sliced his point-blank shot wide of the Castlerahan goal from five metres.
Desperate, last-ditch defending was all that prevented young Murray from goaling four minutes later but in the fall-out, Andrew Graham was able to convert a free to make it a 12 point game.
Then in the 41st minute Padraic Sexton's looping shot came off the bar and Oisin Sheridan's follow-up saw him punch the ball against the Castlerahan post in a frenzy of excitement.
Eventually the game's third goal arrived with livewire Andrew Graham making the net billow in the 43rd minute; a score that was effectively the coup de gras.
As if to prove that the gods weren't on their side over the hour, Castlerahan could only hold their heads in anquish in the 50th minute when they were denied a goal by the butt of the post.
To rub salt into their by now gaping wound, the Gaels' showed exemplary precision at the other end of the pitch less than one minute later with the irrepressible Andrew Graham cheekily side-footing the ball, on the run, into the roof of the net.
To their eternal credit, Castlerahan never threw in the towel and they got their just reward when finding the net late on.
By then however, the blue and white garlands had long since been matched up with the cup and to put the icing on the cake, top-scorer Andrew Graham notched his side's fifth and sixth goals in the final three minutes to round off a really impressive victory for the outrageously dominant and increasingly peerless county town club.
Cavan Gaels (U16 Division One Championship final v Castlerahan):
Richie Murphy; Barry Fortune (0-1), Cathal Cronin, Daniel Mulligan; Vincent Coyle (0-4, three frees), Kevin Brady, Gary Farrelly; Paul Graham (1-3, one free), Cian McKiernan (0-2); Oisin Sheridan (0-1), Kevin Johnston (1-0), Padraic Sexton; Cian Donohoe, Stephen Murray, Andrew Graham (4-5, one free).
Subs; Alan Kelly; Shane Clarke; Liam Fitzsimons; Cian Mulligan; Leon Smith. Tweet
