Four-star Gowna dethrone Kingscourt Stars in Cavan

It's a third county title in the last five years for the club.

Gowna captain Conor Brady lifts the cup after the Cavan at Kingspan Breffni. Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

Gowna 4-17 Kingscourt Stars 0-14 

Gowna bared their teeth at Kingspan Breffni ahead of another tilt at the Ulster Club SFC following a convincing win over defending champions Kingscourt Stars.

In capturing their third blue riband title in the last five years, Gowna boasted 13 different scorers in what was a very impressive team performance illuminated by a particularly fine cutting edge.

Gowna started like a house on fire with a string of early points before burning a path to victory with three opportunist first half goals.

The winners’ efficiency in the final third was a stand-out characteristic of their display but it was also complemented by a dervish-like workrate which meant that Kingscourt were never able to build up any decent momentum at any stage in the match.

Kingscourt trailed by three points when Meath star Jordan Morris broke their duck with a two-pointer in the seventh minute.

However once Gowna found their opponents’ jugular in the 20th minute with a classy Oisín Pierson daisycutter, an air of inevitability began to waft its way over proceedings.

Gowna’s dominance grew and grew with a brilliant goal (21) by Seanie Hartin and a major (29) from the strapping Conor Casey serving to catapult the Longford-border side into an emphatic 3-9 to 0-7 interval lead.

Kingscourt improved in the second half but never looked like producing a Lazarus-like recovery with a lack of incision and a consistent threat proverbial millstones.

The Stars trailed by 0-10 to 3-12 when they manufactured a glorious goal chance but Cian Shekleton’s powerfully struck effort flew over, instead of under, the Gowna crossbar.

Kingscourt performed much better in the vital diamond of the field to give Gowna much more of a contest and an inspirational two-pointer by Kevin Curtis gave the Stars a glimmer of hope entering the final 10 minutes of the game.

However, like all good teams, Kingscourt finished with a flourish and a flowing move in the 56th minute ended with meandering full-back Cillian Brady palming home his side’s fourth and final goal of the game.

Kingscourt huffed and puffed down the back straight without seriously threatening to bin Gowna’s goal of booking a meeting with Crossmaglen at Kingspan Breffni next month.

Gowna: M Brady; F Brady, C Brady (1-0), E Hartin; F Brady (0-1), C Brady (0-1), T Madden (0-4, 4f); R Brady (0-1), R Donohoe (0-2, tpf); C Casey (1-1), S Hartin (1-0), D Madden (0-1); O Pierson (1-3, tpt), O Madden (0-1), C Madden (0-1, f).

Subs; C Madden for C Casey (50); R Fitzpatrick (0-1) for O Pierson (58); R McGahern for R Brady (58); C Brady for O Madden (58); A Dewart for E Hartin (59).

Kingscourt Stars: T Martin; K Farrelly, J McCullough, N Sharkey; B Tully (0-1), A Shekleton, C Ward; P Faulkner, P Meade; D McCormack, P Corrigan, C McGee (0-1); J Morris (0-8, tpt, tpf, 4f), J Dillon, C Shekleton (0-1).

Subs; K Curtis (0-2, tpt) for D McCormack (h-t); C Dermody (0-1, f) for C Ward (41): J McKeon for J Dillon (46).