LOW-FLYING…Kealen Kelly goes down under the challenge of Niall Farrell
St Patrick’s Cavan 1-10
St Michael’s Enniskillen 0-10
A goal two minutes into added on time sent St Michael’s spinning out of the MacRory Cup in a finely poised quarter final tie played at Clones on Sunday.
From the St Michael’s point of view the goal was something of a self inflicted mortal blow though an element of ill fortune also played its part.
In a contest which they had found themselves labouring from the outset, always in arrears from the opening minutes, St Michael’s had finally found a reasonable seam of form and with a string of unanswered points they had edged themselves a point in front.
Normal time elapsed but this game was far from being secure and with four minutes signalled for added on time, St Michael’s weren’t quite home and dry.
From a long time out it was evident that should a goal be scored it was going to be the decisive factor in deciding the outcome.
And so it proved to be.
St Michael’s blundered badly when they had an unnecessary defensive pass intercepted. St Patrick’s counter attacked with centre back Cian McManus homing in to fire in a strong shot on goal.
Enniskillen keeper Colin Copleland did well to parry the drive but the spill went against his side and Cavan midfielder Thomas Galligan was on hand to stab the rebound home for the all crucial goal.
Little time left for St Michael’s to recover but essentially the goal had killed them and St Patrick’s were to pick off the game’s final score to put them three in front.
A decidedly unfortunate finish for St Michael’s but on the whole they could have no great complaint about losing out here.
They produced a sluggish performance overall in a game which didn’t live up to its pre match billing.
Much anticipated here but this was a game which never really caught fire, the only compensation being the fact that it was a taut contest all the way through.
A point separating the sides at the interval after a first half which had seen subdued fare.
Things did pick up to some extent on the restart and in the final quarter the game did have something approaching the intensity expected of MacRory knock out.
St Michael’s with a strong finishing surge, the arrival of Eoin McManus into the middle third giving them much needed impetus, looked to have done just enough to squeeze themselves through to the semi finals.
A three point deficit was turned into a one point lead but they had never exuded any sense of authority or command and in the end they were to be overhauled by a hardworking Cavan side who doggedly dug out the win at the end.
It was a question of chase up for St Michael’s from the earliest minutes with St Patrick’s notching the opening two scores both from centre forward Ryan Connolly who was to be one of his side’s more threatening players.
Connolly’s second point was a long looping shot from some distance out and he was to hit a third on eleven minutes as his side looked the more purposeful over the initial exchanges.
St Michael’s had opened their account with a successful placed kick from Lee Brennan on six minutes but over the thirty minutes they were never out of second gear.
But they did keep themselves in the hunt and hauled themselves level on three each with two pointed frees from Brennan and Eoin McManus but there had also been other placed kicks sent wide and in the end this was to cost them dear.
Connolly with an excellent score nudged Cavan back in front and they went two clear with a late score from David Brady but the leaders were by no means in command of a lowkey contest and St Michael’s had the final score of the half, another successful free and the fact that all their scores had come from this source was indicative of the below par display being put in up front.
A reshuffle in personnel and in positions was the outcome of the interval break but over the early minutes it was St Patrick’s who had the upperhand and after they had tossed three chances wide they went three clear on a scoreline of 0-7 to 0-4.
With Brennan seeing a free clip back off the upright it looked ominous for St Michael’s but eventually they managed to step up the pace of their game and over the final twenty minutes plus they began to look the likelier side.
But they had their work cut out to dismantle the Cavan lead.
Still they steadily gained a foothold in the middle third and scores from another Brennan free and finally a score from play by substitute Ryan Kelly, his shot on the turn zipping over the bar, signalled that a revival could be achieved.
However Cavan were still out in front with the impressive Connolly shooting their ninth point of the day to leave them three clear as the game headed into the final ten minutes.
A major push required from St Michael’s if they were to rescue this contest and they did just that with easily their best period of the game.
Now in control around the middle of the park they had an increasing amount of attacking play and strode forward for a string of points that eventually eased them in front for the first time in the hour.
Scores supplied by two Eoin McManus frees and then marauding centre back Jack McCann landed the equaliser.
The team now on a roll and when Lee Brennan raced in to fist over the fourth point of the sequence the team appeared to have timed the revival perfectly.
But it all came to naught in a fraught four minutes of injury time and they were floored by the Cavan goal, two minutes into that period.