Spot-perfect Gaels make
Ulster Club SFC Quarter Final Enniskillen Gaels 1-17 Gowna 2--14 (aet)
ENNISKILLEN Gaels booked their place in the Ulster Club SFC semi-final in dramatic fashion against Gowna last Saturday night with a penalty shoot-out required to separate the sides following an absorbing encounter at Brewster Park.
The Gaels needed a superb Eoin Beacom free to send the game to extra time and then Conor Love landed a wonderful score at the end of extra time to ensure that the contest was decided on penalties.
And Enniskillen were impeccable from the spot in the shoot-out. Love, Conor Watson, Beacom and John Reihill all converted while goalkeeper Cian Newman saved Gowna’s first effort from Cian Madden to leave it 4-3 after the first four spot kicks.
This left Ciaran Smith with the chance to put the Gaels through and he made no mistake as he sent Ronan Bannon in the Gowna goal the wrong way to secure Enniskillen’s passage into the last four of the competition.
Struggled
It was Enniskillen who landed the opening score of the night as Conor Love got on the end of a long ball from Callum Jones, before firing over with the right foot after only 50 seconds. And Gowna struggled to get a grip on the Gaels’ main scoring threats of Love, Jones and John Reihill over the course of the contest, with the trio supplying 1-13 of their 1-17 tally, all of which four points came from play.
It was evenly contested though in the opening ten minutes with Conor Madden converting a mark to get Gowna up and running, while John Reihill tapped over a free in response.
The sides were then level for a second time when Robbie Fitzpatrick slotted over for the Cavan champions.
However, the home side started to gain the upper hand after this and with 12 minutes played they swooped for the first goal of the game.
Neil Mcdermott picked up a break in the middle of the park and sprayed the ball out to the right hand side to Love.
He then popped it off to Jones who carried it forward before lashing a low shot to the corner to make it 1-02 to 0-02.
And the gap was out to four soon after as the Gaels again got through.
Aaron Nolan fed the ball to Neil Mcdermott who was in space and he played it across the goal to the inrushing Reihill, who palmed his effort over, not under the bar.
Just when it seemed that Enniskillen were controlling matters though, Gowna struck for a goal of their own. A well-worked move saw Cormac Brady, Conor Casey and Tiarnan Madden all involved before the ball was played to TJ Fitzpatrick and he arrowed his shot across Newman and into the corner of the net to bring the gap back to one. That though was to be Fitzpatrick’s last involvement as he was replaced after picking up a knock.
Enniskillen recovered well from the setback and Reihill hit his third point of the game before Jones slotted over another point to make it a three-point game.
Gowna though had shown a real goalscoring threat throughout the Cavan championship and that continued on Saturday night as they went on to tie up the game with their second goal as Robbie Fitzpatrick sneaked in at the back post to palm home after good play by Cian Madden.
Again Enniskillen answered well as O’callaghan powered through, and his rising shot clipped the bar on the way over as they edged ahead, 1-06 to 2-02.
Watson then chipped in with a fine effort from the right before a Reihill free made it a three-point game but Gowna had the last say of the half as veteran Mark Mckeever rattled over a terrific point to leave two in it at the break, 1-08 to 2-03.
Deficit
The Breffnimen did reduce the deficit back to the minimum on the resumption as the lively Conor Casey fired over, but the Gaels replied with a sublime effort from Jones from the lefthand sideline and this was followed by a point from Love after he had turned over possession to put them three in front again.
Gowna though enjoyed a good spell after this as they rattled off the next three points to level things at 1-10 to 2-07.
Conor Madden knocked over from play and this was followed by two frees from Cian Madden, while at the other end Paddy Reihill got through for goal chance, but he pushed his shot past the post.
It was end to end after this as Love twice put Enniskillen ahead, only for Tiarnan Madden and Robbie Fitzpatrick to reply for Gowna, to leave it 1-12 to 2-09 as the game moved into added-on time.
By this stage both sides were reduced to 14 men as Enniskillen’s Callum Jones was dismissed for a challenge on Cian Madden, while Conor Madden followed for his reaction to the challenge.
It appeared as if the Cavan side though were in the driving seat as Cian Madden converted another free to put them ahead for the first time in the game, with 62 minutes on the clock. And Fitzpatrick had a chance to put two between the sides, but his tired attempt dropped short.
Enniskillen then moved the ball down the pitch and Beacom was fouled on the 45-metre line near to the righthand sideline. The substitute superbly stroked over the resultant free to send the game to extra time.
Control
Gowna took control of things in the opening period of extra time as they raced into a three-point lead and at this stage Enniskillen looked to be buckling.
Madden tossed over two further frees while Conor Casey also registered to make it 1-13 to 2-13, although a Love point reduced the deficit to two points going into the second period.
Enniskillen came out with renewed vigour in the second period and Ethan Beresford clipped over a great score, although Daire Madden replied for Gowna.
A Love free though cut the gap back to one and the same players then landed an excellent effort under pressure to level things once more.
Gowna did have a late chance to snatch the win through Ryan Donohoe, but his effort tailed wide to leave it up to penalties to decide the outcome.
And it was to be Enniskillen’s night as they clinically dispatched all five kicks to set up a meeting with reigning Ulster and All-ireland champions Kilcoo in the last four of the competition.