Gaelic Games

Galligan leads the way as Cavan beat Down in Tailteann Cup

Round-up: Sligo escape with an extra-time win over London as Alan Reilly scores crucial point

Sligo's Alan Reilly scores point. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho
Sligo's Alan Reilly scores point. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho
Sat May 28 2022 - 16:42

Cavan 0-24 Down 1-12

A brilliant performance from 2020 All-Star goalkeeper Raymond Galligan was the highlight as Cavan cruised to an easy win over a disappointing Down side in this Tailteann Cup opener.

Galligan kicked 0-7 from dead balls, some from very difficult angles, over the 70 minutes and found time to save a penalty from Down captain Barry O’Hagan just before half-time — and when referee David Gough ordered it to be retaken, Galligan saved again, to the delight of the home supporters in the 3,616-strong crowd.

Ruairi O’Hare opened the scoring six minutes in with a goal for Down but Cavan reeled off six points in succession before the 15-minute mark, with Galligan, Paddy Lynch, Oisin Kiernan and James Smith on the mark.

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By half-time, it was 0-13 to 1-3 and early second-half points from Gearoid McKiernan and James Smith helped copper-fasten Cavan’s advantage, despite being down to 14 men after Lynch was sinbinned following the penalty incident.

Cavan pulled clear late on, with subs Thomas Edward Donohoe and debutant Niall Carolan registering.

Cavan: Raymond Galligan (0-7, 4f, three 45s), Luke Fortune, Padraig Faulkner, Killian Brady, Jason McLoughlin, Killian Clarke, Conor Brady, Thomas Galligan, James Smith (0-2), Oisin Kiernan (0-1), Gearoid McKiernan (0-6, 4f), Gerard Smith (0-2), Martin Reilly, Paddy Lynch (0-4, 1f), Ciaran Brady

Subs: Thomas Edward Donohoe (0-1) for M Reilly (48 mins), Cian Madden for Ciaran Brady (50), Niall Carolan (0-1) for Faulkner (55), Chris Conroy for T Galligan, Oisin Brady for McLoughlin (both 63)

Down: Niall Kane, Peter Fegan, Adam Lynch, Tomás McInerney, Darren O’Hagan, Conor Poland, Ryan Magill (0-1), Anthony Doherty (0-1), Ruairi O’Hare (1-0), Daniel Guinness, Odhran Murdock (0-1), Pierce Laverty (0-1), Ruairi McCormack (0-1), Barry O’Hagan (0-2, 1f), Niall McParland

Subs: Rory Burns for Kane, Andrew Gilmore (0-2, 1f) for R O’Hare, Liam Kerr (0-3) for McParland (all ht), Conor Francis for P Fegan (45 mins), Patrick McCarthy for D O’Hagan (59)

Referee: David Gough (Meath)

Leitrim 2-14 Antrim 1-12

Leitrim’s progression to the second round of the Tailteann Cup was much more comfortable than the final margin of five points suggested, as a dreadful shooting display from Antrim put paid to their chances in this afternoon’s contest at Carrick-on-Shannon.

The Saffrons had 12 wides, five shots dropped short and a couple of missed goal chances over the course of the 70 minutes, with many of these in the second quarter, when Leitrim pulled away to build a commanding lead.

Keith Beirne’s ability to kick points from distance and out of traffic was key to Leitrim’s early 0-5 to 0-3 lead, but the home side really took control when Shane Moran punched the ball to the net after 19 minutes.

In front by 1-9 to 0-4 at half time, Leitrim effectively had the tie settled with a quick-fire 1-1 early in the second half, a goal from Jack Heslin and a follow-up score from Pearce Dolan pushed their lead out to double figures.

Antrim continued to enjoy plenty of possession and a final quarter goal from Peter Healy, allied to a series of excellent points from Pat Shivers, reduced the deficit but never looked like changing the result.

Leitrim: B Flynn; P Maguire, M Diffley, C Reynolds; D Flynn, J Rooney, D Bruen (0-1); P Dolan (0-1), S Moran (1-0); C McGloin (0-1), K Beirne (0-6, 0-2f, 0-1m), J Heslin (1-1); E Sweeney (0-1), D Wrynn (0-1m), R O’Rourke.

Subs: J Reynolds (0-1) for McGloin (37), E Mulligan for O’Rourke (47), M Plunkett (0-1) for Heslin (53), C Farrell for Flynn (59), D Rooney for Sweeney (67).

Antrim: M Byrne; E McCabe, P Healy (1-1), P McCormick; M Jordan, D Lynch, D McAleese (0-2); K Small, C Stewart; P McBride (0-1), R Murray, P McAleer; J Gribbon (0-1), P Shivers (0-4), O Eastwood (0-1).

Subs: R McCann (0-2f) for Jordan (half-time), J Laverty for Small (h-t), B McCormick for P McCormick (47), C Murray for Gribbon (47), E Hynds for Eastwood (58).

Referee: B Cassidy (Derry)

Fermanagh 1-12 Longford 0-12

A recurring hip injury may have shattered Ultan Kelm’s dreams of featuring for Fremantle in this year’s AFL, but the Erne Gaels man made a dream return to his county colours this evening, as he crowned his first appearance for the county with a 70th minute goal that secured his team’s progression to the quarter-finals of the Tailteann Cup.

In a contest where Longford started well, kicking the first three points of the game inside seven minutes, Fermanagh gradually found their feet, initially by choking up the centre of their defence, where Longford’s runners, in particular Keelin McGann, enjoyed early success.

At the interval it was 0-6 to 0-4 in Longford’s favour and it became a three-point lead when McGann added another excellent point in the third minute of the second half, but from there Fermanagh took over, kicking six of the next seven points.

The introduction of Mark Hughes helped Longford get back on terms as he kicked two excellent scores, but Fermanagh never trailed again, and were leading by one when a driving run from Kelm after 69 minutes opened up the defence and set up his perfect low shot past Paddy Collum.

Ryan Jones followed up with a masterly strike from distance and while Longford kicked the next two, the goal chance they needed never looked like arriving.

Fermanagh: S McNally; L Flanagan, G Kavanagh, J Cassidy; A Breen, D McCusker, J McMahon; R Jones (0-4), J McDade; U Kelm (1-1), C Jones (0-1), J Largo Ellis; C Corrigan (0-1), D McGurn (0-1), S Quigley (0-4f).

Subs: O Kelm for McMahon (h-t), L McStravick for Corrigan (59), G Jones for U Kelm (70+2), K Connor for Breen (70+3)

Longford: P Collum; P Fox, A Farrell, J Moran; R Moffett (0-1), M Quinn, B O’Farrell; D Gallagher (0-5f), K Diffley (0-1); K McGann (0-2), D Doherty, Dessie Reynolds; I O’Sullivan, Daniel Reynolds, J Duggan.

Subs: J Shiels for O’Sullivan (28), J Matthews for Duggan (h-t), M Hughes (0-2) for Doherty (49), E McCormack for Daniel Reynolds (59), F Sheridan (0-1) for Diffley (70)

Referee: J Henry (Mayo)

Sligo 3-15 London 2-16

Sligo escaped with an extra-time win from Markievicz Park to deny London a place in the Tailteann Cup quarter-finals.

Man of the match Alan Reilly pointed in the sixth minute of injury-time to level before substitute Brian Egan netted the extra-time goal to edge the Yeats men through.

The lively James Gallagher netted early for the visitors, but goals from Reilly and Pat Hughes had Sligo 2-6 to 1-7 ahead at the break.

The Exiles were in front as Matthew Walsh fired home and the sides traded scores before Ronan Sloane and James Hynes were black-carded, and top-scorer Reilly pulled Sligo level at 2-11 each at the death.

Further scores from Reilly and Donal Conlon had the Yeats men ahead before Egan netted, but still London got a chance to level, though Chris Farley’s penalty was saved by Aidan Devaney.

And London’s Eoin Flanagan and Gallagher were both sent off late on.

Sligo: A Devaney (0-1, 1f); M Walsh, E Lyons, P McNamara; N Mullen, D Cummins, P Kilcoyne; S Carrabine (0-1, 1f), P Spillane (0-1); K Cawley, P O’Connor (0-4, 3f), M Gordon; A Reilly 1-6, P Hughes 1-1, N Rooney.

Subs: L Towey for Spillane (49), D Conlon (0-1) for Rooney (57), P Laffey for Walsh (57), N Murphy for Hughes (70), B Egan (1-0) for Murphy (70+4), C Marren for O’Connor (81), B Gorman for Carrabine (85).

London: N Maher (0-1, 1f); C Healy, M Moynihan, N McElwaine; R Sloane, E Walsh, E Flanagan; J Hynes (0-1), S Dornan; C Gallagher (0-1), H Walsh (0-1), L Gallagher (0-1); J Gallagher (1-3, 3f), F McMahon (0-3, 1f), M Walsh (1-1).

Subs: L Gavaghan (0-1, 1f) for Walsh (55), C Duggan for McMahon (57), O Olajubu for McElwaine (66), C Farley (0-1, 1f) for J Gallagher (70+4), S Hickey (0-2) for Olajubu (81), J Gallagher for Dornan (82), H Walsh for L Gallagher (85).

Referee: N Cullen (FH).