Gowna romp to 10th Cavan title

In retaining their title, a young Gowna side overcame a nervy early start to completely dominate after the first quarter with a performance full of pace and class.

LET THE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN: Ryan Donohoe of Gowna, left, and team-mate Tiarnan Madden celebrate after their side's victory in the Cavan County Senior Club Football Championship final. Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

Gowna 5-15 Kingscourt Stars 0-13 

Gowna romped to their 10th Senior Championship title with a brilliant performance in this one-sided Cavan SFC decider.

In retaining their title, a young Gowna side – under the management of Fintan Reilly and former Cavan star Dermot McCabe – overcame a nervy early start to completely dominate after the first quarter with a performance full of pace and class.

After 16 minutes, the Stars led by 0-6 to 0-2 but Gowna’s trademark in recent years has been their ability to get goals and they turned the game on its head with a devastating five-minute burst in which they struck for 2-1.

And when they added another goal before the break to lead 3-5 to 0-8 at the interval, the momentum was firmly with the defending champions and there seemed to be no way back for the Stars.

Powered on in particular by Man of the Match Ryan Brady (one of seven starters aged 21 or younger), Gowna controlled the match after the first quarter. Brady bagged the crucial opening goal, Darragh McConnon struck the second and Oisin Pierson buried the third on the stroke of half-time.

Jordan Morris converted a free on the restart but Gowna bossed the third quarter, pressing high on the Stars’s kick-out. Tiarnan Madden bagged two goals in the first nine minutes of the second half to end the game as a contest.

The closing stages were a procession and Daire Madden had the final say as Gowna ran out 17-point winners for a most impressive 10th Senior Championship title.

Gowna: R Bannon, Cormac Brady, R McGahern, E Hartin (0-2), R Brady (1-0), Conor Brady, T Madden (2-4, 1f), R Fitzpatrick, R Donohoe (0-1), S Hartin, C Casey (0-2), Cian Madden (0-3, 2f), O Pierson (1-0), Conor Madden (0-2), D McConnon (1-0) 

Subs: F Brady for Conor Brady (14), D Madden for O Pierson, TJ Fitzpatrick for D McConnon (both 53), M McKeever for Conor Madden (55), J Madden for C Casey (57) 

Kingscourt Stars: J Farrelly, S Gray, P Faulkner (0-1), C Roe, B Tully, P Meade, Odhran Cunningham, P Corrigan (0-2), S Burke, C Dermody (0-1), B Reilly (0-2, one s/l), A Clarke, J Morris (0-4, 3f), J Dillon (0-3, 1f), S Duffy 

Subs: J Oates for C Dermody, C Shekleton for B Reilly (both ht), K Curtis for S Burke (45), C McKeown for S Gray (49), P Farrelly for A Clarke (58) 

Ref: M Lee