Glenswilly 1-8
Cavan Gaels 0-10

An injury-time penalty from Michael Murphy stunned Cavan Gaels and moved Glenswilly into the quarter-finals of the Ulster club senior football championship this evening at Kingspan Breffni Park.

Having failed to score for 21 minutes of the second-half, the Gaels hit three unanswered points in five minutes to take the lead coming towards injury-time when a mountain of pressure from their opponents forced them into the concession of a penalty which the Donegal star expertly converted.

In an even contest, the sides were level four times throughout, including at half-time, as Darragh Sexton had a fired-up Cavan Gaels side off the mark within 30 seconds, before Glenswilly's immediate response saw Michael Murphy, who was being guarded by two Gaels defenders and was kept scoreless from play throughout, released Ciaran Bonner to equalise.

Darren Chapman's side were enjoying the better of the opening exchanges though and two Michael Lyng points moved them into their first two-point lead by the seventh minute. Keelan McFadden hit back with a point for the visitors, but a Sean Johnston free quickly cancelled-out as the Cavan town side maintained their superior start to the contest.

Murphy opened his tally for the day with a 30 metre free on the quarter hour mark before Gaels captain Eamonn Reilly lashed over a fine score from the right flank.

Gary McFadden got the Donegal champions off the hook in the 20th minute when he pulled off a superb block after Martin Dunne was threaded through for a goal chance, but it didn't dishearten the Gaels as Lyng earned a free along sideline for the deadly Johnston to slot between the uprights and open a three-point advantage.

Dunne's chance seemed to be the wake-up call Glenswilly required as a sweet score from Darren McGinley was backed up by a free from their captain McFadden which trimmed the deficit to the minimum, before the same players pointed another on the eve of half-time to leave the scores at 0-6 apiece for the break.

Facing into a stiff breeze in the second-half, the Gaels resumed in good fashion when speedster Niall Murray's dazzling run ripped apart the Glenswilly and saw the wing-forward blast over with a goal in his thoughts.

A McFadden free was the response, before the Gaels were denied the net once more when Murray released an unmarked Sean Reilly in front of the posts and his shot was blocked on the line and the resultant '45' was wasted by Lyng.

It was another let off for the Donegal outfit, as they moved into their first lead in the 40th minute through an accurately placed ball from Murphy.

The hosts sent on Conor McClarey and Niall Smith to try and bolster their attacking options, while Glenswilly would introduce Brian Farrelly to the fray, and it was the Gaels that would hit the next score as brilliant work from Lyng released Kevin Meehan into space to slip the ball over, which ended a 21-minute scoring drought for Chapman's men and squared the sides once more.

In the next attack, the Cavan side would earn a free in the left corner for Johnston to attempt but instead the Cavan captain's effort dropped short for Sean Reilly to break towards Conor McClarey and the substitute coolly slotted over for the lead.

Glenswilly hunted for a response, but got stung by another rapid Gaels break which saw McClarey send over a rousing point which looked like the winner heading into injury-time.

However, the 'never-say-die' attitude about this Glenswilly outfit shone through in the added minutes when a long ball in to a packed square caused the Gaels defence to impede Neil Gallagher and Down referee Ciaran Branagan awarded the penalty which a calm Murphy buried to break his opponents' hearts and moved Glenswilly into the last eight of the province.

Cavan Gaels: Eoghan Elliot; Darren Rabbitt, Cathal Collins, Marc Leddy; Darragh Sexton (0-1), Eamonn Reilly (0-1), Robert Maloney-Derham; Enda King, Dominic Reilly; Martin Dunne, Michael Lyng (0-2), Niall Murray (0-1); Sean Reilly, Kevin Meehan (0-1), Sean Johnston (0-2, 2f). Subs: Conor McClarey (0-2) for Dunne (38mins), Niall Smith for E King (45mins), Niall Gurhy for M Leddy (52mins).

Glenswilly: Philip O'Donnell; Rory McDaid, Eamon Ward, Ruairi Carwford; Joseph Gibbons, James Pat McDaid, Brian McDaid; Leon Kelly, Neil Gallagher; Keelan McFadden (0-1), Ciaran Bonner (0-1), Caolan Kelly; Darren McGinley (0-1), Gary McFadden (0-3, 2f), Michael Murphy (1-2, 1 pen, 2f). Subs: Brian Farrelly for C Kelly (42mins), Martin McGinley for K McFadden (55mins), Barry Molloy for D McGinley (57mins).

Ref: Ciaran Branagan (Down) Tweet

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