Crosserlough end famine to win tense Cavan SFC final

Crosserlough players celebrate with the trophy. Picture: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Cavan SFC: Crosserlough 0-13 Kingscourt Stars 0-8

Crosserlough ended a 48-year famine as they stormed to victory in this tension-filled Cavan SFC final replay.

A week earlier, the sides produced a high-scoring epic as Crosserlough raced into an early seven-point lead only for Kingscourt to take control and led by two entering injury time.

This time around, it was no classic, with lots of errors and defences on top, but the winners were the better side. Spurred on by Man of the Match James Smith, they led by 0-6 to 0-2 early on with James Smith, Stephen Smith, Patrick Lynch and David Shalvey on the mark.

Padraig Faulkner kept Kingscourt in touch and a hat-trick of points just before the break from Cian Shekleton (two) and Faulkner again left just two between them, 0-8 to 0-6, at the interval.

The ’Lough started the second half with a free from Lynch and after 10 scoreless minutes, Stephen Smith slotted one from play. The scores dried up, though, as the tension increased. Both sides fluffed their lines in a cagey final quarter before Lynch kicked the insurance score deep in injury time.

Crosserlough: B Malocca, J Cooke, P O’Reilly, D Shalvey (0-2), S McVeety, C Rehill, C Boylan, M Stuart (0-1), J Smith (0-3), S McManus, B Boylan, D Gaffney, A Smith, P Lynch (0-5, 2f, 1m, 45), S Smith (0-2)

Subs: Pierce Smith for McManus (41), R Galligan for Gaffney (50), P Smith for Rehill (55, temp.), E Gaffney for A Smith (56), Peter Smith for McVeety (60), B McKiernan for B Boylan (60)

Kingscourt: J Farrelly, C McKeown, A Clarke, K Farrelly, S Duffy, P Meade, J Oates, S Gray, P Corrigan, B Tully (0-1), P Tinnelly, K Curtis, C Shekleton (0-2), P Faulkner (0-3), B Reilly (0-2f)

Subs: D Gunne for Curtis (37 mins), SBurke for Shekleton (45), O Cunningham for Oates (45)