A little bit of Cavan GAA history was made this week with the Quinn Building Products UGAAWA Merit Award going to a Breffni player for the second month in a row. Martin Reilly has scooped the scribes' award for May, following in the footsteps of Padráig Faulkner, who won the April gong.

Reilly gets the award after a dazzling display for Cavan against Armagh in the USFC quarter-final. Not only did he hammer home the clinching goal from the penalty spot for the winners, but he played a major role in the first Cavan goal scored by Dara McVeety. He also earned a number of free-kicks that Seanie Johnston tossed over the bar so it was no surprise that the flying number 12 won the Man-of-the-Match award.

"All the lads played an important part in our win over Armagh," said the Killygarry clubman (29). "We were delighted with the win but now we have a big obstacle in front of us in the semi-final against Tyrone. We were disappointed in our performance against them in the Division 2 league final but Tyrone were deserving winners on the day. We have got to do better next time."

The only medal that Reilly has won with Cavan is a Leinster JFC trophy, a few years ago, but he is, naturally, hoping for bigger things in the not-too-distant future. His first senior appearance with the Breffni Blues was in 2007, after he had sampled soccer at home and abroad.

In the League of Ireland he played with Home Farm and Longford Town but was signed by Burnley as a 17-year-old. However, things didn't work out for him at Turf Moor and, after two years, he left the Clarets, returned home, resumed his GAA career and qualified as an Electrical Engineer. He works with Lakeland Diaries in Killeshandra.

"I never lost my appetite for GAA and I'm delighted to have returned to the game. Winning this Monthly Merit Award is a surprise for me and, of course, I'm honoured. Individual awards are very welcome, particularly when they don't come around too often," he said.

The winner receives an engraved Belleek Living vase, specially designed silver cuff links from Carlingford Design House, training gear from O'Neill's International Sports and a medical kit bag from 3FiveTwo Communications on behalf of Kingsbridge Private Hospital.

The presentation was made at a function in Quinn's Corner Restaurant, Ballygawley Road, Dungannon by Quinn Therm Operations Manager Peadar Maguire and UGAAWA chairman John Martin.

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