Half-time rumble heats up Cavan promotion charge
UP FOR IT: Padraig Faulkner of Cavan in action against Ryan McEvoy of Down during the Allianz Football League Division 3 match at Kingspan Breffni in Cavan. Pic: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
Cavan cemented their place at the summit of Division 3 of the NFL with an exciting win over Ulster rivals Down at Kingspan Breffni.
On a dry but bitterly cold day, the Blues made good the rise in temperature at the interval to go on and notched 2-9 in the second half.
Down lacked power and physicality in the last third of the pitch and they played a poor second fiddle all around the pitch for large periods of the tie.
The Mournemen looked to be in the mood though to improve on their third spot in the table and they exploded from the starting blocks with Liam Kerr’s incisive pass (3) putting late call-up Miceal Rooney in for a shock goal.
Cavan took time to go up through the gears, but displayed a confidence and a composure that augurs well for their league title hopes.
Indeed, the Mournemen were given the time and the space to engineer another goal chance before the end of the opening quarter but ‘keeper Raymond Galligan smartly blocked Kerr’s goal effort (14) for a fruitless ’45.
Cavan slowly roused themselves from a slumber that saw them fail to score from open play in the first half hour of the game with a mighty Madden (Cian) effort hauling Cavan onto level terms (0-5 to 1-2) at the break.
Things kicked off in the tunnel at the end of the first half as the warring tribes made their way underneath the stand with referee Paddy Neilan (Roscommon) having cause to issue Down boss Conor Laverty and Cavan selector Ryan McMenamin with yellow cards.
For good measure, Down selector Mickey Donnelly and unused Mourne County sub Anthony Doherty were red carded after the dust had briefly settled in front of a bumper crowd.
The meaty exchanges at the short whistle fired up an already fired-up home support but, more crucially, Cavan clearly appeared for the second half with more fire in their bellies and a string of points – including a gem from McVeety – had the Breffni boys motoring.
Down were well short of their earlier dynamic best and only Andrew Gilmore’s frees threatened the hosts’ cushioned lead.
Things just got better and better for the blues and two minutes after his introduction, talisman Gearóid McKiernan’s first touch of the ball saw him call a fabulous mark (53) and, in a jiffy, Cavan were 0-11 to 1-5 in front.
Both sides rang the changes down the back straight but the balance of power remained in blue and white.
Cavan were confident and composed in lording it on the possession front while Down were far from dynamic in playing catch-up.
A cloud of inevitability hung over proceedings in the dregs of the game and Paddy Lynch’s 66th-minute major – after a great one-two with McKiernan – propelled the hosts into a 1-12 to 1-7 lead.
Three minutes after Lynch found the net, supersub McKiernan latched onto a Conor Madden pass but Down stopper Charlie Smyth made a good save.
Down stuck to their guns but they continued to fire blanks ‘till the death and it was left to the stand-out Paddy Lynch to find the net (73) and firmly cement Cavan's position as table toppers with just two rounds remaining.
P Lynch (2-5, 4 frees); Cian Madden, D McVeety (1f), G McKiernan (1m) (0-2 each); R Galligan (f), B Boylan, J Smith (0-1 each)
P Havern (0-5, 3f); M Rooney (1-0); A Gilmore (0-3 frees); R McEvoy (f), D McAleenan (0-1 each)
R Galligan; J McLaughlin, P Faulkner, N Carolan; C Brady, D McVeety, T Madden; D Brady, K Clarke; G Smith, Cian Madden, J McCabe; P Lynch, R O’Neill, B Boylan
J Smith for D Brady (h-t); G McKiernan (0-2, one mark) for R O’Neill (47); S Smith for J McCabe (55); Conor Madden for B Boylan (64); C Reilly for D McVeety (67).
C Smyth; C Fitzpatrick, R McEvoy, P Laverty; R Magill, C Doherty, P Branagan; A P Fegan, O Murdock; G Collins, L Kerr, M Rooney; A Gilmore, P Havern, D McAleenan
A Morgan for G Collins (24); R Johnston for C Fitzpatrick (41); J Johnston for P Branagan (46); C Francis for M Rooney (54); E Branagan for A Morgan (62).
Paddy Neilan (Roscommon).
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