2011 saw Gowna's away senior status come within a whisker of perishing but in the end the former kingpins dug deeper than ever before to remain in the top flight. Goalkeeper Ronan Bannon spoke to Breffni Blue about what was a tough year between the posts with the Longford-border club.

It's not easy keeping up with the elite, but in late September saw Gowna's senior footballers just edged the race to keep themselves in the top tier of Cavan club football, while condemning neighbours Lacken to the intermediate ranks.
At the start of the season it was hard to envisage Ciaran Brady's team going into decline come the summer, as their early league form suggested that they were once again going to be one of the teams to beat in the chase for the coveted Oliver Plunkett Cup. In the end though, September would see them gunning for safety rather than another slot in the county final.
"Our main objective, like every year, would have been to try and win the senior championship and try and get a good a run in the league as well," explained Gowna net-minder Ronan Bannon.

"We had Ciaran Brady over us and Patrick Brady and Philip Brady were his selectors, so we were confident in the management and there were no retirements either, although we did have two lads that emigrated. Colin Briody and Ciaran Briody both went to Australia and they would have been losses to us from the start of the year."

With the club set to officially unveil their new facilities in June, expectations were high at the start of the year and in the opening game of the season Killeshandra would visit Gowna looking to get themselves off to a good start. In an exciting contest, the sides would end up sharing the points on 2-8 each to get off the mark in Division One of the All County Football League.

Ciaran Brady's men wouldn't have to wait long for their first brace of points for the season, as a trip to Killygarry in their next outing would prove a profitable one and see them take a 3-10 to 3-8 victory from Crubany. Wins over Lavey (2-9 to 1-7) and rivals Mullahoran (2-6 to 0-5) followed as the team gathered momentum by mid-May. However, a slender 2-9 to 2-8 defeat away to county champions Kingscourt would spark a run of bad form as defeats to Ramor United (3-9 to 0-10) and Belturbet (0-11 to 1-7) followed, before a hard earned win over Ballyhaise (0-7 to 0-5) and a draw with Ballinagh (1-13 to 3-7) helped stem the tide again.

"We started out well in the league," Bannon stated. "After we drew our first game, we went on to win our next three games but the form kind of dipped after that and we'd lost a good few games coming towards the championship."
A rousing 2-13 to 0-7 win over Lacken and a draw with would-be senior championship finalists Castlerahan (1-12 to 2-9) kept hopes of a top four finish for a semi-final place alive, but defeat at Terry Coyle Park to champions Cavan Gaels (0-22 to 2-12) derailed things before a hard fought win over Cuchuallins (0-9 to 0-8) had Gowna approaching their senior football championship campaign in a positive fashion.

However, things wouldn't go according to plan in their opening game as a 2-10 to 0-11 defeat to Redhills left Brady's charges needing results against Castlerahan and Belturbet in order to have any hope of moving into the quarter-finals. The following weekend Gowna's championship bid went up in smoke when they found themselves on the receiving end of a trouncing by Castlerahan, before a draw against Belturbet left them rooted at the bottom of the group.

"We lost the first game to Redhills by five or six points after a poor enough performance and I suppose that day the pressure was on us and we just didn't perform," said Bannon. "That led to us getting a hammering by Castlerahan the next day in Breffni Park. We lifted things a bit against Belturbet to get a draw in the last game, but by then the damage was done and we were in a relegation play-off."

The run of bad form would consign Gowna towards a relegation play-off with intermediate champions Drumalee at the end of August in Ballinagh, where the losers would enter into a last chance saloon with their senior status at stake. Keen to avoid a drop back to the mid-tier, the Cavan town side started brilliantly to open up a 1-2 to nothing lead after just 11 minutes before Gowna slowly worked their way back into the contest with points from Mark McKeever and Ciaran Fitzpatrick. A free from Conor Madden, who, along with Andrew Dewart, had enjoyed Ulster championship success with the Cavan minor team the previous month, maintained Gowna's surge which hit its peak when full-forward Niall Madden smashed in a superb goal which saw the sides level on 1-4 each by the break.

Drumalee resumed strongly and it took two frees from McKeever to get themselves back within a point, after Drumalee had been reduced to 14 men. Another accurate placed ball from McKeever squared the sides again, but that was to be as good as it got for the Longford border side as their opponents kicked the next three scores to regain the lead. Gowna would send on Gerald Pearson, who was again luckless with injuries throughout the season, in search of scores, but Drumalee held out to send Brady's team into the last chance saloon.

Once more the pressure was on for Gowna and in a tense and fiery encounter against neighbours Lacken at Kingspan Breffni Park the sides finished level on 2-9 each to save another day, which would again be 'do-or-die' for both teams.
Gowna looked to be in trouble once former county ace Finbar Reilly dispatched a penalty past Stephen Leddy, who was filling in for Bannon in the Gowna goal, after 12 minutes, but they quickly regrouped to level matters as Conor Madden and David Hyland lashed over points to leave the score at 0-6 to 1-3 by the halfway stage.

In the second-half, Lacken were denied another chance of a goal when Mark McKeever's superb block denied Raymond Galligan the net and it was one of many things which went on to inspire the men in green and red over the second half-hour. Damien Halton (2), Ciaran Fitzpatrick and Conor Madden cracked over the scores which would put Gowna firmly in the driving-seat. Lacken threatened goals but were denied twice by a combination of the woodwork and some fine goalkeeping from Stephen Leddy. The concession of a late penalty, which was tucked away by O'Reilly, made for a nervy final 10 minutes but in that time it was Gowna that dominated as Madden and Hyland added to their tallies before substitute Shane Briody chipped in on the scoring to help secure the club's senior status for 2012.

Gowna (SFC relegation final replay v Lacken): Stephen Leddy; David Phillips, Shane Harton (0-1), James Madden; Willie Stephens, Emmet Madden, Brendan Madden; Mark McKeever (0-1, 1f), Christy Madden; Raymond Keogh, Conor Madden (0-5), David Hyland (0-5, 2f); Ciaran Fitzpatrick (0-2), Niall Madden, Damien Halton (0-2). Subs: Andrew Dewart for J Madden; Shane Briody (0-2) for C Madden, TJ Fitzpatrick for D Phillips.

"The first day was a draw and I suppose we were lucky not to lose, but we could have also won it that day as well," Bannon pointed out. "In the replay we were down by a point at half-time, but the team showed great character in the second-half and that was what won it for us. We scored 13 points in the second-half and thankfully it was enough to see us stay safe."

Ladies secure intermediate crown
In September, Gowna ladies made the potent leap to the senior ranks when they comfortably overcame the challenge of Inny Gaels in the intermediate championship final in Mullahoran.

Under the managership of Brigid Dolan, Gowna had the final all but wrapped up with eighteen minutes to go as their goal scoring ability punished Inny Gaels for squandering chances in the first-half.
The winners registered their first point after seven minutes through Niamh Fitzpatrick kicking over a point from play before Inny Gaels went into the lead with a goal, however they failed to score for another 20 minutes as Gowna took the lead with points from Niamh Harton, Lisa Mulligan and Shauna Fitzpatrick to give their side a one-point advantage. Inny Gaels ended their scoring drought on the eve of half-time to lead by 1-2 to 0-4 with everything still to play for.

The Gaels fired over a point a minute into the restart, but in the space of eight minutes Emma Connolly kicked over four consecutive points all from play and in the 48th minute Niamh Fitzpatrick set-up Shauna Fitzpatrick for another score. A minute later the Gowna goal onslaught began, with a highball in towards the Inny Gaels large square for Emma Connolly to gather and she finished the ball low to the net, which was followed up two minutes later by Shauna Fitzpatrick making a good run and then fisting the ball across to Bethany Houldsworth, who fired in a tidy net. Six minutes from the end Houldsworth turned provider to Shauna Fitzpatrick and she slotted the ball to the net to secure her side an impressive 3-10 to 1-3 victory and the intermediate title for 2011.

The Gowna team which lined-out that day was as follows: Grainne Conaty; Siobhan Brady, Elaine Smith, Donna Madden; Paula Fitzpatrick, Patricia Lynch, Ciara Bannon; Laura Pearson, Aisling Harton; Niamh Fitzpatrick, Shauna Fitzpatrick, Bethany Houldsworth; Emma Connolly, Lisa Mulligan, Niamh Halton. Sub used: Yvonne Madden.

Opening of new facilities marks new chapter

This past May saw Gowna GAA officially open their new facilities to mark a new chapter in the club's rich history. A project which had been in the pipeline since as far back as 2005, the facilities were afforded by the club's hard-working fundraisers and included new flood-lighting, a gym, and new clubrooms and a training pitch which cost in excess of €600,000. The official opening took place on May 2 and was performed by Ulster Council President and Drumgoon native Aogan Farrell, while on the day Cavan took on neighbours Longford in a senior football challenge match. Tweet

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