Mullahoran 4-13
Gowna 0-7

Mullahoran eased into the last eight of the Cavan senior football championship on Sunday afternoon with an 18-point demolishment of 13-man Gowna at Kingspan Breffni Park.

Having gotten off to a slow start in their title defence this summer, the Dreadnoughts looked liked champions for the first time as they showed no mercy to their neighbours, whom only managed three points from play over the hour - all from Conor Madden.

First-half goals from brothers Philip and Paul Brady had the winners in command early on and they'd be handed a third in the early stages of the restart after a howler from Gowna goalkeeper Ronan Bannon before a late penalty from Enda O'Reilly sealed the deal.

It means the Killydoon men will now meet either Cavan Gaels or Kingscourt (who play later this evening) in the quarter-finals, while Gowna, whom had too many anonymous performers which resulted in them being overrun on the day, have again seen their championship hopes dashed in early September.

Mullahoran started strongly, with two points from play off the left boot of talisman Enda O'Reilly ushering them into an early lead. They came close to hitting the jackpot in the fifth minute when Tomas Nannery was slipped through, but the veteran wing forward shot into the feet of Gowna net-minder Bannon and the danger was cleared.

The holders saw two more chances of points wasted by Philip Brady, but the corner-forward would more than make up for them when Raymond Lynch and Damien McArdle combined to release him on the edge of the small square from where he lashed to the roof of the net.

A 12th minute free from Mark McKeever was sorely needed to stem the tide before a sweet score from the deadly accurate Conor Madden brought the Lakesiders right back into contention.

However, Gowna's endeavours on the quarter hour mark would be wiped out in an instant when some hesitant defending allowed Paul Brady to dribble through and collect the rebound of his own shot to bury into the corner of the net.

It was a massive blow for Mickey Hartin's charges, but they dug deep in the closing stages of the half to eventually cancel-out Brady's major by the interval. A minute after Brady's strike, Madden looped over his second point of the afternoon and in the added minutes he added two more, one an excellent free from 45 metres, to leave it at 2-2 to 0-5 at the halfway stage.

Gowna would have been intent on beginning the second-half as they ended the first, but they gifted their neighbours the perfect restart when a high ball into the square from O'Reilly was dropped by Bannon and into the path of McArdle, who crashed the ball to the empty net.

It was a nightmare restart for Gowna and they leaked five more points over the next eight minutes via Ray Lynch (2), Paul Brady, Tomas Nannery and McArdle to leave them with a mountain to climb, before a Madden '45' arrived.

Madden, who contributed 0-5 of his side's 0-6 at this stage, would be dismissed moments later after picking up a second caution and Shane Briody soon followed him for an early shower when he dragged down Paul Brady in front of the posts. O'Reilly did the rest from the free and he'd add a goal to his tally when Ronan Bannon dragged down Philip Brady in the square.

There was no let up from there, as a rare gem from seasoned campaigner Christy Shields made it a 17-point lead ahead of a Ger Pearson free, as late points from Finnon O'Reilly and PP Galligan saw out the rout.

Mullahoran: Dominic Crudden; Seanie Smith, Killian Brady, Darren O'Reilly; Dermot Sheridan, Paddy Brady, Daniel O'Reilly; Christy Shields (0-1), Peter Paul Galligan (0-1); Paul Brady (1-0), Enda O'Reilly (1-3, 1pen, 1f), Tomas Nannery (0-1); Philip Brady (1-2), Raymond Lynch (0-2), Damien McArdle (1-2). Subs: James Reilly for S Smith (16mins, temp), Smith for Reilly (23), Daniel Smith for Sheridan (37), Finnon Reilly (0-1) for McArdle (48), Kevin Fitzsimmons for Nannery (51), Eddie Dalton for Philip Brady (54, inj), Jason Donohoe for C Shields (56).

Gowna: Ronan Bannon; Brendan Madden, Niall Madden, Ryan McGahern; Andrew Dewart, Willie Stephens, Shane Harton; Raymond Keogh, David Hyland; Emmet Madden, Conor Madden (0-5, 1 '45', 1f), TJ Fitzpatrick; Shane Briody, Gerald Pearson (0-1, 1f), Mark McKeever (0-1, 1f). Subs: Cian Bannon for TJ Fitzpatrick (HT). James Madden for McKeever (36).

Ref: Joe McQuillan (Kill Shamrocks) Tweet

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