Castlerahan over-power Lavey to claim Reserve title

Reserve Division 2 Championship final

Castlerahan 2-15

Lavey 1-8

Castlerahan finished the season on a high with a win in the Reserve Division 2 Championship final against Lavey. There wasn’t much between the teams early on but in quite an eventful contest, Casterahan got to grips with their opponents midway through the first half and, in the end, ran out easy winners.

Lavey got off to a great start with point from Aaron Lynch and Darren Monaghan in the first minute. Castlerahan were slower to get into their stride and would not draw level until the 13th minute when Rory Smith registered after Cian McCabe had opened the Ballyjamesduff lads’ account.

Another point from top scorer McCabe nudged Castlerahan in front at 0-3 to 0-2 on 17 minutes, with Lavey suffering a blow shortly afterwards when key man Danny Cusack went off injured.

Raymond King levelled the scores at 0-3 apiece 10 minutes before half-time but Castlerahan took charge of the contest from there till the break.

Caldwell converted a free, then McCabe scored from play and when Luke Caldwell found the net after a great catch, there were five between the teams.

Ciaran Caldwell really took the game by the scruff of the neck in the minutes before the short whistle, adding three points from play in quick succession to see his side go in at the interval holding a commanding 1-8 to 0-3 lead.

On the resumption, this was extended further as Luke Caldwell, whose shot bounced over the bar, and Rory Smith added a brace of quickfire points.

Darragh Tierney pulled on back at the other end for the Lavey men but Castlerahan, with a foothold around the middle and using the ball very well, continued to pile on the pressure.

A point from team captain Padraig McGahern made it 1-11 to 0-4 and Rory Smith soon raised another white flag. Whatever faint glimmer of hope there was for Lavey was extinguished in the 42nd minute when Sean Óg McGearty hit the net for Castlerahan’s second major, which left 14 points between the sides.

Cian McCabe registered again before Lavey, who introduced former Cavan senior player Chris Conroy off the bench in the final quarter, began to come back into the game. Shea Smith and Raymond King both landed points and then Lavey bagged a goal.

By this stage, both sides were reduced to 14 men after Eugene Hill and David Conroy were dismissed.

In the closing stages, McGahern and McCabe added frees for Castlerahan to ensure they ran out comfortable victors.

Both sides fielded mixtures of youth and experience but a physically stronger Castlerahan had the edge, particularly in attack where their movement, ball-winning ability and accuracy in shooting was impressive.

Castlerahan: Eugene Hill, Paul Brady, Jamie Reilly, John Linnane, Eoin McCaul, Fergal Reilly, Mark McCabe, Luke Caldwell (1-2), Cormac Lynch, Rory Smith (0-3), Padraig McGahern (0-2, 1f), Peter Lynch, Ciaran Caldwell (0-3, 1f), Cian McCabe (0-5, 1f), Sean Óg McGearty (1-0)

Subs: Conor Farrelly for Peter Lynch (41), Seán Ó Raghallaigh for E McCaul (46), Daniel Reilly for S Óg McGearty (51), Aaron McPhilips for C Caldwell (54)

Lavey: Conor Smith, David Conroy, Danny Cusack, Finn Buckley, Aaron Lynch (0-1), Darragh Tierney (0-2), Liam Maguire, Callum Maguire, Ciaran Tierney, Raymond King (0-2), Gavin Tierney, Ronan King, Ciaran McConnon, Darren Monaghan (0-1), James Sheridan

Subs: Philip Smith for D Cusack (20), Shea Smith (0-2) for G Tierney, Larry McKenna for C McConnon (both ht) Chris Conroy for D Monaghan (47)