Football

Castlerahan are blown away by stylish Gaels

Cavan Gaels produced their most polished performance of the season in waltzing their way to a facile 2-14 to 0-7 Cavan SFC semi-final win over a below-par Castlerahan side at Kingspan Breffni Park.

The losers played second fiddle for all but fleeting minutes of the match and simply couldn't get a grip on the Martin Dunne/Seanie Johnston axis in the Gaels' full-forward line.

In truth, Castlerahan were as impotent up front as the Gaels were razor sharp and their impotency was manifest in their failure to raise a flag between the ninth and 31st minutes of the first half and again from the 41st minute to the sounding of the final whistle.

With county stars Cian Mackey and Ronan Flanagan unable to make any impact, Castlerahan failed to test the 2011 champions to any meaningful degree.

Dunne and Johnston had much more joy, with the former grabbing his side's opening goal (24) to put the county town side 1-6 to 0-3 in front.

Meanwhile, Johnston played the role of provider to a classy degree while also chipping in with three points from play over the hour.

Dunne scored the opening two points of the game but, helped by a gem from Cian McEnroe (7) and a Mackey free (10), Castlerahan tied the game up at 0-3 apiece but it was downhill the whole way after that for the outsiders.

Dunne's goal - after great work by Levi Murphy and Micheal Lyng - proved pivotal in steering the county town side to a 1-6 to 0-4 interval lead after a Cian McEnroe free (31) had ended a 21-minute barren period for Castlerahan.

It was all too easy though after the restart for Cavan Gaels with Oisin O'Connell's fine point (41) the only interruption in a procession of Gaels' scores.

By the time Paul O'Connor, son of manager Joe and first cousin of Mayo star Cillian, popped over his fourth point (54), Castlerahan were facing into a 0-7 to 1-13 deficit.

The Gaels continued to show no mercy though and sub Paul Graham put the cherry on the cake for his side with a smartly-taken goal six minutes from time.

Experienced Gaels' defender Eamon Reilly was dismissed for a second yellow card (57) but it won't effect his participation in the October 13 county final.

The Gaels will meet neighbours Ballinagh in the blue riband final thanks to the Saffrons' 2-9 to 1-10 victory over rank outsiders Crosserlough. after Ballinagh moved quickly out of the starting blocks, Jonathan Crowe and top-scorer Barry McKiernan drew Crosserlough level at 0-2 apiece for the one and only time in the game with six minutes on the clock.

The writing was on the wall for the losers when the aforementioned county star McDermott rounded his marker and goaled with aplomb in the eighth minute.

McDermott's major catapulted his side into a 1-2 to 0-2 lead and while McKiernan kept Crosserlough in touch with a brace of converted frees, Ballinagh sat pretty at half-time on the back of a 1-7 to 0-5 interval lead.

Crosserlough continued to fight the good fight on the restart and a fortuitous Pierce Smith goal - after Darragh Mcveety's shot richocheted off the upright - cut Ballinagh's lead to a less daunting 1-7 to 1-5.

Ballinagh were the more composed, purposeful side though and a 53rd minute goal by Damien McInerney had them eyeing the chequered flag with intent. ahead by 2-9 to 1-6, Crosserlough desperately needed a goal to save their bacon but, instead, they had to make do with consolation points from McKiernan, Mcveety, Jimmy Higgins and Shane McManus.