GAA: Cavan overcome Carlow by 2-13 to 0-12 in football qualifiers
Saturday 9 July 2016 19:09, UK
Goals from Eugene Keating and Cian Mackey secured a 2-13 to 0-12 victory for Cavan in their first ever football championship meeting with Carlow, ensuring their progression to Round 3A of the All-Ireland qualifiers.
Terry Hyland's side seized their second chance in the championship with a resounding win at Kingspan Breffni Park just six days after their disappointing Ulster semi-final replay defeat to Tyrone.
Carlow were seeking back-to-back qualifier wins for the first time after previously overcoming neighbours Wicklow but came up short despite a spirited effort.
They were just four points behind with 20 minutes to go but Mackey's 51st-minute goal was the strike that ultimately killed off the Barrowsiders.
Gearoid McKiernan also weighed in with five important points for Cavan, although they lost goalscorer Keating and Dara McVeety to black cards.
Cavan came into the contest as red-hot favourites to progress having gained promotion to Division One before beating Armagh in the Ulster Championship and taking Tyrone to that replay last weekend.
They got a great start against the Division Four outfit when Keating flicked in a third-minute goal after Mackey's ball in from the right wing, putting them 1-1 to 0-0 ahead.
But they only added five more points in the first-half with three of those coming in the minutes just before the break.
Carlow played a defensive game and got 13 and 14 men back at times. However, they punished Cavan on the counter-attack and surprisingly outscored the hosts by 0-5 to 0-2 over a 30-minute spell.
Free-takers Darragh Foley and Daniel St Ledger contributed a brace of points apiece in this period.
Foley also fisted in a 15th-minute goal when he redirected St Ledger's long free to the net, only for it to be ruled out for a foul.
Cavan also breathed a sigh of relief when Chris Blake's 20th-minute goal attempt for Carlow was saved by goalkeeper Raymond Galligan.
Carlow trailed by just a point with 33 minutes on the clock but rued those wasted goal opportunities and Cavan finished the half with points from McKiernan and Killian Clarke to take a 1-6 to 0-5 interval lead.
McKiernan won a free that Seanie Johnston converted early in the second-half to stretch Cavan's lead though Carlow remained just four points behind with 50 minutes on the clock.
Cavan finally put serious daylight between the teams with another converted Johnston free and Mackey's 51st-minute goal, nudging them 2-9 to 0-8 ahead.
It was a fine goal from Cavan as Mackey got on the end of a flowing move and the final pass was played by influential substitute Jack Brady.
Cavan were disrupted by those two black cards but finished with fine points from distance from McKiernan to secure the seven-point win.
Cavan: R Galligan; K Brady, R Dunne, P Faulkner; F Flanagan, C Moynagh, C Brady; T Corr, L Buchanan; K Clarke (0-1), G McKiernan (0-5, 1f), D McVeety (0-1); C Mackey (1-1), E Keating (1-1), S Johnston (0-3, 3f).
Subs: M Reilly for Buchanan (23), J Brady for K Brady (HT), T Hayes (0-1) for Keating (53, BC), McVeety (BC 53, previously booked), N Murray for C Brady (60).
Carlow: R Molloy; D St Ledger (0-5, 5f), K Nolan, BJ Molloy; G Kelly, J Murphy (0-1), B Kavanagh; E Ruth (0-1), S Gannon; A Kelly (0-1), D O'Brien (0-1), H Gahan; D Smithers, D Foley (0-2, 2f), C Blake (0-1, 1f).
Subs: D Walshe for Smithers (44), D Lunney for Foley (47, BC), D Moran for O'Brien (61), P O'Halloran for Blake (67), B Cawley for Nolan (70), C Bailey for Ruth (74).
Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford).
