Unconvincing Cavan hang on to beat London

NFL Division 4 round 7

Cavan 1-15

London 2-11

Paul Fitzpatrick at McGovern Park

Cavan were relieved to hear the final whistle in Ruislip as they held on in a tense finale to defeat London by a point.

Cavan led by eight early on, saw the gap cut to three but seemed to have weathered the storm when they extended their lead to seven points approaching full-time. But the hosts finished strongly and an injury-time penalty from Christopher Farley cut the gap to the minimum and ensured a nervewracking final few moments for the large travelling Breffni contingent.

At half-time, Cavan were leading by 1-8 to 1-2 but it was clear that the contest was by no means over; the visitors played with a strong wind at their backs in the first half and after opening a 1-5 to 0-0 lead, they were poor in the second quarter as a pacey London side showed why they had already secured three wins in this campaign.

Cavan started on the front foot. Killian Clarke won the throw-in, James Smith raced forward and Caoimhin O’Reilly beat two defenders before pointing off the right foot.

From the kick-out, Conor Moynagh fielded and found Cormac O’Reilly, who curled in, and when Gerry Smith forced a turnover and Jason McLoughlin, in acres of space, split the posts, Cavan were three up and moving very well.

Better was to follow when Moynagh found Lynch, who curled in with a spectacular mark, and when Cian Madden delivered a long ball to Lynch, who cut inside and smashed to the net, it seemed as if Mickey Graham’s men would run away with it.

London, though, had other ideas. They opened their account 20 minutes in with a well-taken James Hynes effort and although Gearoid McKiernan hooked over, a brilliantly-taken goal from the lively Henry Walsh stunned Cavan and dragged the Exiles back into contention.

Cavan, who had tore London open early on, were by now struggling to break them down; the build-up play was ponderous and Michael Maher’s side began to look comfortable soaking up pressure and attacking on the break, with the long ball to James Gallagher particularly troublesome.

Cahir Healy and Gallagher combined to release Walsh for a well-taken point before McKiernan rounded off the first-half scoring with a free following a foul on Killian Brady.

The consensus at the interval was that the wind was worth five or six points but while London did win the second half by five, the elements were not nearly as important a factor as the breeze died down substantially.

London created a goal chance on the resumption, Ray Galligan saving well from Gallagher, but Cavan extended their advantage with a super Gerry Smith point at the other end.

The Blues were sloppy, though, repeatedly off target with passes and guilty of over-carrying on several occasions, and London were not going away.

The impressive London captain Liam Gavaghan (free) and McKiernan traded scores; Gavaghan then pointed on the turn and Christopher Farley flung over an eye-catching score to cut the gap further.

And when a Gavaghan free made it a three-point game, 1-10 to 1-7, approaching the final quarter, Cavan knew they were in a real contest. The 2020 Ulster champions responded quite well, Moynagh pointing stylishly with the outside of the right boot and Lynch firing over a mark to make it 1-12 to 1-7 on 57 minutes.

Gavaghan responded but when Cavan strung together three points in succession from McKiernan (free), McLoughlin and sub Conor Madden, it looked like they had done enough.

However, there was time for a further twist. Gavaghan pointed, Madden spurned a goal chance and London threw everything they had at the visitors as the clock ticked down.

A lovely point from Walsh made it 1-15 to 1-11. Then, two minutes into the allotted four of stoppage time, Cavan were turned over coming out with the ball and conceded a foul and Farley’s powerful effort from the spot found the net.

London pressed up but Cavan managed to get their hands on the kick-out and the final whistle sounded shortly afterwards, in all likelihood – bar a freak sequence of results – securing promotion for the Breffni men. A win is a win but this was far, far from convincing and prompts a lot of questions about where the team is going.

London: Noel Maher, Eoin Walsh, Cathal Long, Nathan McElwaine, Cahir Healy, Ronan Sloan, Matt Moynihan, Cahir Healy, Christopher Farley (1-1, 1-0 pen), Liam Gallagher, Conal Gallagher, Liam Gavaghan (0-6, 3f, 1m), Evan Wynne, James Hynes (0-2), James Gallagher, Henry Walsh (1-2)

Subs: Ferghal McMahon for J Gallagher (49 mins), Thomas Lenihan for Hynes (53), Conor O’Neill for Wynne (60), Sean Hickey for McElwaine, Alan Kyne for C Gallagher (69)

Cavan: Raymond Galligan, Luke Fortune, Padraig Faulkner, Killian Brady, Jason McLoughlin (0-2), Conor Moynagh (0-1), Benjamin Kelly, James Smith, Killian Clarke (0-1m), Gerard Smith (0-1), Gearoid McKiernan (0-5, 3f), Cian Madden, Caoimhin O’Reilly (0-1), Paddy Lynch (1-2, 2m), Cormac O’Reilly (0-1)

Subs: Thomas Edward Donohoe for Caoimhin O’Reilly (ht), Thomas Galligan for Cormac O’Reilly (50), Conor Madden (0-1) for G Smith (19), Stephen Smith for Cian Madden (64), Chris Conroy for Moynagh (67)

Ref: Barry Tiernan (Dublin)