McBreen earns Lavey a draw with Gowna

Senior Football Championship round 3

Lavey 1-11

Gowna 0-14

On Saturday evening last in Kingspan Breffni, Lavey faced off against Gowna in round three of the Senior Championship. Kevin McDonnell’s Lavey, entering the game with just a point to their name, knew defeat would leave the opportunity to progress to the quarter final out of their own control.

For Gowna, having lost the opening round against Killygarry and bounced back with a victory over Laragh, they knew defeat would also mean that progress to the last eight would rely on other results going their way. With Oisin Pierson out and Conor Madden unavailable to start as he returns from injury, Gowna were dealt a further blow before throw-in as veteran Mark McKeever was also unavailable.

It took four minutes for the opening score of the game to come as Ryan Brady and Robbie Fitzpatrick combined to set up Cian Madden to give Gowna the lead. The sides were level less than a minute later as Chris Conroy sailed over a 45.

Robbie Fitzpatrick, operating close to the Lavey goal, won a free on the sixth minute and Tiarnan Madden converted with the left foot to edge Gowna back in front. Showing the variety of ways Lavey can attack, Chris Conroy sent a long high ball to the square and after Shane Tierney broke the ball down, Peter Smith gathered and sent it over the bar to level the sides again.

Gowna edged in front once more on the ninth minute after a long driving run by Conor Brady worked the ball to the D, where TJ Fitzpatrick relieved him of possession before setting the ball between the posts. The game's first goal chance fell to Lavey on the 11th minute when Shane Tierney’s quick feet and hands set up Daragh Tierney but his shot was straight at Ronan Bannon in the Gowna goals.

Two left-footed frees from Tiernan Madden on the 12th and 15th minutes raced Gowna into a three-point lead. Lavey responded with a well-taken point from 35 metres by Paul Gilchreest and after Aaron McCabe was fouled, Gerard Smith's free left the minimum between the sides.

From the following Gowna kick-out, Karl Duke won a 50-50 ball and delivered to Shane Tierney who laid off to point-scorer Gerard Smith. With two minutes remaining in the half, full-forward Ryan Donohoe was fouled and Daire Madden converted the free from 40 metres out.

As the game entered injury time, a superb 60-metre cross-field pass over the Gowna defence by Chris Conroy found Daragh Tierney in enough space for him to tap over his first point of the day. As they had done through the entire first half, Gowna responded to Lavey getting level with a point thanks to Ryan Donohoe after a well-placed Ronan Bannon kick-out.

On the resumption of the second half, the sides were level as Aaron McCabe showed great vision to pass to Gerard Smith bearing down on the Gowna goal. Smith drew in the Gowna defender Cormac Brady before laying the ball off to Shane Tierney who tried to palm the ball to the back of the net but saw it go over the bar while Gerard Smith ran in free on goal looking for the return ball.

Again from the resulting Gowna kick-out, Conor Casey edged Gowna in front with a well-struck point from 45 metres. Mirroring what happened in the first half, the end-to-end nature of the game continued when Shane Tierney won and converted an attacking mark.

After a foul on Conor Brady, Tiarnan Madden sent over his third free of the evening leaving the score 0-9 to 0-8 in favour of Gowna. While the game may not have been consistently at a very high standard, it produced a number of exceptional moments. One of them, with eight second-half minutes played, was a scintilating run by Gerard Smith which saw him beat a number of Gowna defenders and while little more than a yard off the end line he split the posts, running at top pace.

With 20 minutes remaining, either Gowna switched on or Lavey switched off but the result was five scores without reply for Fintan Reilly and Dermot McCabe’s side. Gowna almost hit the back of the net after Casey squared the ball to Daire Madden but Danny Cusack threw himself at the ball and deflected the shot over the bar.

A fifth converted free by Tiarnan Madden after a foul on Conor Madden open the two-point gap in favour of Gowna. In the following play, Ryan Donohoe extended the Gowna lead to three and added another after getting on the end of a clever Tiarnan Madden handpass.

Gowna’s injury worries took another dent as county senior Cian Madden had to leave the field and was replaced by Oisin Fleming. Ryan Donohoe, now operating further out the field, finished a super second-half display with his fourth point, leaving five between the sides with 11 minutes remaining.

Worryingly from a Gowna a point of view, that was the last score they had in the game as from Lavey suddenly began to regain a foothold in the action. With Gowna operating a blanket defence, Lavey controlled lots of the ball but were unable break them down until Chris Conroy's vision and skill found Darren Jordan free 20 metres from the goal and as he entered the square, a push on the back saw him go down and referee James Clarke awarded the penalty.

Conroy converted the spot kick low to Ronan Bannon's right-hand side, reducing the deficit to two points with seven minutes remaining. Four minutes later substitute Ronan King showed great composure as he entered the scoring zone and laid off to Daragh Tierney who calmly stuck the ball over the bar with his left foot.

With Gowna holding on to a one point lead, the game entered injury time. Lavey, who were down to 14 men after Karl Duke received a second yellow card, continued to work the ball around the mass Gowna defence but were unable to get one of their traditional shooters in enough space for a shot on goal. With two injury time minutes played, young Lavey wing-back James McBreen stepped up and sailed over a 40-metre kick to level the sides for the eighth and final time.

Lavey: Conor Martin, David Conroy, Danny Cusask, Declan Conroy, James McBreen (0-1), Chris Conroy (1-1, 1-0 pen, 1f), Darragh Conaty, Paul Gilcreest (0-1), Darren Jordan, Daragh Tierney (0-2), Aaron McCabe, Gerard Smith (0-3, 1f), Shane Tierney (0-2, 1m), Karl Duke, Peter Smith (0-1)

Subs: Oisín Tynan for A McCabe, Liam Maguire for D Conaty, Raymond King for P Smith, Ronan King for D Conroy

Gowna: Ronan Bannon, Cormac Brady, Eoghan Hartin, James Madden, Fionan Brady, Ryan McGahern, Tiarnan Madden (0-5f), Conor Brady, Ryan Brady, Cian Madden (0-1), Robbie Fitzpatrick, Conor Casey (0-1), Daire Madden (0-2, 1f), Ryan Donohoe (0-4), TJ Fitzpatrick (0-1)

Subs: Oisin Fleming for C Madden, Conor Madden for R Fitzpatrick, Sean Hartin for C Casey, Raymond Keogh for E Hartin.