Loch Gowna (Cavan) 5-15 Newtownbutler First Fermanaghs 1-6
Cavan champions Loch Gowna booked their place in the semi-finals of the Paul McGirr U16 Club Champions Tournament with a comprehensive victory over Newtownbutler First Fermanaghs.
However, the final result does not tell the full story of the game as the Fermanagh champions dominated the first 20 minutes and were ahead until the sending off of corner-back Donal McDaid
Newtownbutler got off to a blistering start with corner-forward Conor Courtney finding the net with a piece of individual brilliance.
Two pointed frees from Daire Madden settled Gowna nerves but they had goalkeeper Oisin McCannon to thank after he denied Caolan Swift with a fine save, Swift pointing the rebound.
Diarmaid King strode forward to get his name on the scoreboard for Newtownbutler but at this stage Gowna were starting to gain a stranglehold on possession and were rewarded when man-of-the-match Diarmaid Boylan got their first goal, finding the roof of the net following a 50-yard run.
The dismissal of McDaid shortly after, combined with the loss to injury of Newtownbutler’s towering midfielder Sean Conlon, was a body blow from which Finbarr O’Keefe’s men would never recover, Gowna making the extra man advantage count in sensational style.
Points from Tiarnan Madden and Ryan Brady, followed by an Evan Kane goal, left the half-time score 2-5 to 1-4 in favour of Gowna.
King and Ger O’Keefe in particular fought valiantly for Newtownbutler throughout, but Gowna had the impetus with them in the second half and their forward line certainly made their dominance count on the scoreboard.
Full-forward Conor Casey was to the fore with a second half tally of 1-4, his goal coming early in the half converting after some fine approach work. Casey’s tally was matched by centre half-forward Cormac Brady who was causing all sorts of problems for Newtownbutler.
Midfielder Cillian O’Reilly got their fourth goal, capitalising on a defensive mistake and Casey rounded off the scoring with the final goal to ease the Cavan boys into the last four.
