Cavan Gaels 4-11
Castlerahan 0-7

A rampant Cavan Gaels side took back the Cavan senior football championship crown this evening with an emphatic 16-point victory over Castlerahan at Kingspan Breffni Park.

Last year's beaten finalists couldn't have asked for a better start to what was a one-sided decider, with Kevin Meehan banging in their first goal inside three minutes, and from there on the Gaels never looked like losing as further majors followed over the hour via Martin Dunne, Sean Johnston and Robert Maloney-Derham.

Castlerahan, who will be deeply disappointed with their performance, did their utmost to make a fight of it after conceding the early goal but, in truth, were simply outclassed as the game grew on and in a demoralising second-half were outscored by 2-5 to 0-4 as the Gaels marched on to the coveted title and an Ulster club SFC quarter-final with Donegal champions Glenswilly.

The Gaels started in brilliant fashion, with Dominic Reilly finding Martin Dunne inside after just two minutes for the deadly corner-forward to offload to an unmarked Kevin Meehan, who lashed the ball to Jamie Leahy's net.

The goal was made look simple by Darren Chapman's side and left Castlerahan with an even more uphill battle, but they took to the challenge well as the a Cian Mackey free was the immediate reply before the flame-haired attacker lashed over a splendid score to trim the deficit to one.

Michael Lyng grabbed the Gaels first point on 13 minutes, after dummying on to his left boot and sliding the ball over, and Dunne added another on the quarter hour mark as Castlerhan's defence was caught napping.

With Mackey operating in a playmaker's role around the centre, Castlerahan's tactic was to hit Sean Brady inside at full-forward at every opportunity and it very nearly came off for them when Brian Coleman got one-on-one with Eoghan Elliot, but corner-forward drove his shot straight at the Gaels goalkeeper.

It would prove a costly miss, as Robert Maloney-Derham, who was grafting well at wing-back, pointed in the next attack before another slick Gaels move provided the Ballyjamesduff men with another hammer blow.

Good work from Enda King released Kevin Meehan, who would go on to scoop the 'Man of the Match' award, down the right flank and the versatile number 14 crossed to Dunne on the edge of the square from where he side-stepped his marker and buried to Leahy's left-hand corner.

Rocked by the concession of another goal, Castlerahan would only post just one free through Oisin O'Connell for the remainder of the half, while the Gaels' momentum carried them towards scoring three more points through Johnston (2) and Niall Smith to close the half at 2-6 to 0-3.

Paul Smith nabbed the first score of the resumption for Castlerahan, who were in need of drastic change to turn things around. Lyng cancelled-out down the far end, before Sean Brady sent over a superb free to leave Ciaran Macken's men still with an outside chance.

However, hopes of a comeback from the underdogs were all but extinguished when a mix-up from a sideline ball by two Castlerahan players allowed Meehan to pick their pocket and he carried possession as far as Johnston, who fired low to the corner of the net.

O'Connell hit back with a point for the trailers, but when Maloney-Derham got in for goal number four on 45 minutes it furthered compiled the misery for Castlerahan and confirmed that the Oliver Plunkett Cup would be returning to Cavan town.

Dunne and Brady (free) exchanged scores, as the Chapman could well afford to empty his bench in a drab closing quarter, sending on veterans Paul O'Donnell, Sean Reilly and young defender Daniel Graham, before the lethal Dunne brought his tally for the evening up to 1-4 on the eve of the full-time whistle.

Cavan Gaels: Eoghan Elliot; Darren Rabbitt, Cathal Collins, Niall Gurhy; Darragh Sexton, Eamonn Reilly, Robert Maloney-Derham (1-1); Enda King, Dominic Reilly; Niall Smith (0-1), Sean Johnston (1-3, 2f), Niall Murray; Martin Dunne (1-4), Kevin Meehan (1-0), Michael Lyng (0-2). Subs: Karl Crotty for N Murray (41mins), Paul O'Donnell for N Murray (46mins), Daniel Graham for E Reilly (46mins), Sean Reilly for E King (48mins), Cormac Nelligan for S Johnston (56mins).

Castlerahan: Jamie Leahy; Caolan McBreen, Eugene Hill, Fergal Flanagan; David Wright, Ronan Flanagan, Enda O'Connell; Paul Brady, John Clarke; Nigel Duignan, Sean Brady (0-2, 2f), Paul Smith (0-1); Cian Mackey (0-2, 1f), Oisin O'Connell (0-2, 1f), Brian Coleman. Subs: Stephen Cooney for D Wright (HT), Alan Cusack for J Clarke (blood sub, 34mins), Alan Mulvey for E Hill (41mins), Fergal Reilly for C McBreen (48mins), Paul Cusack for P Smith (57mins).

Ref: Brendan Sweeney (Ballymachugh) Tweet

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