Killygarry 2-9
Gowna 0-9

Two goals in the space of three minutes proved the difference for Killygarry as they saw off Gowna's challenge to book a first round win in the senior championship at Kingspan Breffni.

Donal Thomas and Conor Smith fired in the second-half majors for the Crubany men, whom had failed to score in the opening 20 minutes of this contest but still managed to go in at the break all square.

With six points totalled between them at the halfway stage, the two managed to find their range a bit better after half-time, but, make no mistake, it as a drab spectacle and one which goals were always going to make the difference in.

Conor Madden's free had Gowna up and running inside two minutes before Mark McKeever had them two to the good but all their early work was nearly wiped out in an instant when Darragh Kennedy threaded Daniel Talbot through at the far end, but the wing forward pulled it wide.

Killygarry couldn't take max profit from their first clear-cut chance and they'd be made wait in the heavy rainfall for their first score as TJ Fitzpatrick's free moved Liam Higgins' men three in front on 16 minutes.

Martin Reilly's well-struck free five minutes later eventually had the men from Crubany off the mark and they fashioned two more white flags via Smith (free) and Reilly, with Conor Bates having denied TJ Fitzpatrick a goal with a brilliant diving block, leaving it at 0-3 when the sides went in at the interval.

Gowna introduced veteran Gerald Pearson to the fray for the start of the second-half, stationing him on the edge of the square, but it was their opponents that made the better restart as two fine points from Ross Sheridan outweighed a Madden free.

It could have been worse for the village men at that stage, with two fine saves from 'keeper Ronan Bannon on back-to-back occasions denying Thomas and Smith goals, respectively.

A superbly executed '45' from county man Reilly came off Smith's saved effort and they'd finally hit the net on 46 minutes when Thomas was put through in plenty of time and space and made no mistake.

The umpire at that end was reaching for his green flag three minutes later when a well worked move saw Smith tear through and the Cavan U21 shot to Bannon's left hand top corner, picking up injury in the process.

That should have been game over but the Longford border outfit hit the net three scores through Madden, Robbie Fitzpatrick and TJ Fitzpatrick to try and make a game of it in the closing five minutes of regulation.

Killygarry totally dominated the closing stages though, killing off their counterparts with points from Talbot and Thomas (2) to secure both points.

Killygarry: Paddy Galligan; Conor Bates, Eoin Smith, Conor Connolly; Martin Reilly (0-3 2f, 1 45), Daryl McKenna, Darragh Kennedy; Fergal Clarke, Mattie McKenna, Daniel Talbot (0-1), Brian Sheanon, Ross Sheridan (0-2); Darragh Gannon, Donal Thomas (1-2), Conor Smith (1-1, 1f). Subs: Enda Gallen for D Gannon (46mins, BC), Stephen McGovern for C Smith (51, inj), Andy McGovern for C Bates (60).

Gowna: Ronan Bannon; David Phillips, Brendan Madden, Ryan McGahern; Paul Langtry, Conor Brady (0-1), John Hyland; Raymond Keogh, Conor Madden (0-3, 2f); Willie Stephens, Robbie Fitzpatrick (0-1), David Hyland; TJ Fitzpatrick (0-3, 3f), Niall Madden, Mark McKeever (0-1). Subs: Gerald Pearson for P Langtry (HT), Andrew Dewart for J Hyland (51mins).

Ref: John Emo (Butlersbridge)

Tweet

Most Read Stories