Lavey/Castlerahan 2-10
North Eastern Gaels 1-9

A goal in each half helped Lavey/Castlerahan to a first Cavan minor football championship triumph tonight at North Eastern Gaels' expense at Kingspan Breffni Park.

In an enthralling final replay, the standard of football overshadowed that of the previous game by some distance with both teams notching as many scores in the opening half as they did last Sunday, when it finished disappointingly on 0-6 apiece.

North Eastern Gaels were the better team for the opening quarter of this contest before they were devastated by Daire McEnroe's 16th minute goal, but they pulled back a major of their own through Caolain O'Reilly towards the eve of half-time to level it all square at the interval.

Lavey/Castlerahan were much the better side in the second period as they were led forward by joint-captain Gerry Smith, who was outstanding in both games and contributed 0-5 here, and once substitute Lindo Majola goaled in the 41st minute the title was theirs to lose as Enda Flanagan and Smith knocked over frees in the closing quarter to make sure of a historic win.

Sean Tierney opened the scoring inside 20 seconds for North Eastern Gaels to set the tone for what would unravel as a riveting first-half. Enda
Flanagan responded with a free and the Lavey/Castlerahan centre-forward could have added a goal in the 7th minute, but his fisted effort bounced the wrong side of the post.

Gary Watters shot the Gaels back in front two minutes later, but Lavey/Castlerahan were beginning to edge things at this stage as Daire McEnroe had a goal chance cleared off the line and Gerry Smith added a point after being moved from centre-back to the edge of the square.

A Liam McKenna free kept the advantage with the Laragh/Kill/Drung combo, but they'd be dealt a blow when failing to clear danger from their square and allowing McEnroe to bury past a stranded Joseph O'Donoghue in the Gaels goal.

The next three scores would arrive via Flanagan (free) and the superb Smith (2), before the Gaels hit a purple patch in the closing stages of the half which saw McKenna and Sean Tierney combining brilliantly to release Caolain O'Reilly in the big square, from where the corner-forward applied a devastating finish to the net.

Two well-struck Stephen Jackson frees in the added minutes meant the sides would go in level for the break on 1-5 apiece.

A McKenna free handed the Gaels their first lead since the 15th minute two minutes into the resumption, which Senan Gilchreest cancelled-out to level the sides for the third time before Lavey/Castlerahan asserted their authority on things with the endeavours of their forwards earning frees for Smith and Flanagan to pop over for a two-point lead ahead of a killer blow.

In the 41st minute the game's salient moment arrived when Paul Gilchreest cut in from the right wing and set-up Lindo Majola and the substitute made no mistake in rifling past O'Donoghue for a second three-pointer.

The Gaels rallied for a quick response which saw Ryan Egan being dismissed for picking up a second yellow card, and despite the points of Shane O'Rourke and McKenna (free) Lavey/Castlerahan were able to hold out for a coveted victory.

Lavey/Castlerahan: Seamus Tierney; Darren Donegan, Killian McEnroe, James Cunningham; Dermot Conaty, Gerry Smith (0-5, 2f), Ryan Egan; Senan Gilchreest (0-1), Dean Rutherford; Paul Gilchreest, Enda Flanagan (0-3, 3f), Dara Conaty; Jake Buckley, Daire McEnroe (1-1, 1f), Fergal Reilly. Subs: Lindo Majola (1-0) for J Buckley (37), Cormac Daly for D Conaty (44), Barry Cusack for D Conaty (58).

North Eastern Gaels: Joseph O'Donoghue; CJ McCabe, Shane McCann, Kieran Reilly; Aaron Watson, Shane O'Rourke (0-1), Ian Middleton; Brian Crowe, Aaron McIntyre; Liam McKenna (0-3, 3f), Stephen Jackson (0-3, 2f), Sean Tierney (0-1); Caolain O'Reilly (1-0), Gary Watters (0-1), Damian O'Reilly. Subs: Eoin O'Donoghue for I Middleton (30), Cian O'Rourke for C O'Reilly (53).

Ref: Gerry Sheridan (Mullahoran) Tweet

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