RANK outsiders Mullahoran caused a shock in the opening round of the Cavan SFC by edging out (0-14 to 0-11) a fancied Cavan Gaels crew at Kingspan Breffni.
Mullahoran led the 2017 champions for most of the match, with county panellist Cormac O’Reilly leading the way on the scoring front in helping the winners-elect chisel out a 0-6 to 0-4 interval lead.
The game was always destined to go down to the wire, though, and the sides were level (0-10 apiece) for the second time in the second half when Gaels’ ‘keeper Ciaran Flynn split the posts off a ‘45.
Crucially, Mullahoran scored the next three points without reply and managed to keep the county town side at arm’s length thereafter.
Killygarry banged home 2-1 in injury-time to see off (4-12 to 2-8) the stern challenge of Castlerahan.
Former county star Martin Reilly notched the winners’ first goal in the 10th minute to put his side 1-1 to 0-3 in front but a Ciaran Caldwell goal (28) helped Castlerahan to level matters, 1-6 apiece, by half-time.
Killygarry had their first purple patch right after half-time when they hit 1-3 without reply but Rory Smith’s 45th-minute goal for Castlerahan cut his side’s deficit to two points, 2-7 to 2-9.
Current county star Oisín Brady (Killygarry) was red-carded (48) but so too was Euan Henry (Castlerahan) in the 57th minute. Killygarry finished with a flourish with a goal each for Darragh Noonan and Darragh Lovett putting the cherry on the cake.
Also at HQ, Paul Smith’s penalty conversion on the half-hour wasn’t enough to prevent Laragh Utd from going down (1-9 to 0-14) to a buoyant Ballinagh side.
Ballinagh were much the better team but when Smith’s team-mate Jake Mills followed up with a point seconds after the interval to level matters (1-6 to 0-9), an unlikely victory for Laragh beckoned.
Ballinagh continued to play with their chests puffed out, thoug,h and thanks in part to the expert free-taking of seasoned campaigner Niall McDermott, they got their noses in front and stayed there.
Elsewhere, 2020 winners Crosserlough left Lavey nursing their wounds with a 4-14 to 1-6 trouncing.
Lavey were at their most competitive in the first half but an opportunist goal (27) by county man Dara McVeety hoisted the ‘lough into a 1-4 to 0-3 interval lead.
The second half was a lop-sided affair, though, with Lavey caught cold by two goals by strapping midfielder Peter Smith inside the first four minutes of the second half.
Crosserlough twisted the knife thereafter with a well-taken goal by Matthew Costello in the 47th minute making it a 16 point (4-8 to 0-4) game and leaving Aaron McCabe’s penalty conversion (49) with the word consolation stamped all over it.
In the final game of the weekend, Adam O’Connell’s 62nd-minute goal propelled match favourites Ramor Utd to a 1-13 to 0-13 win over 2023 IFC winners Ballyhaise.
In a game noted for the dearth of goal chances, Lorcan Lynch’s brillant goal-saving block (19) prevented Ballyhaise finding the net with the sides deadlocked at 0-5 apiece.
Ballyhaise suffered a blow in the 22nd minute when Eoin Clarke was black-carded but 11 minutes later his counterpart Eoin Somerville also saw black.
On the hour mark, Matthew Smith’s converted free edged Ramor into a one-point lead but it took O’Connell’s major to seal the deal for the Virginia-based outfit.
Round one
Gowna 1-16 Kingscourt 2-13
Killygarry 4-12 Castlerahan 2-8
Ballinagh 0-14 Laragh Utd 1-9
Crosserlough 4-14 Lavey 1-6
Mullahoran 0-14 Cavan Gaels 0-11
Ballyhaise 0-13 Ramor Utd 1-13
Round two (dates TBC)
Mullahoran v Ramor Utd
Gowna v Ballyhaise
Laragh v Crosserlough
Ballinagh v Cavan Gaels
Castlerahan v Lavey
Kingscourt v Killygarry
