Results
Cavan SFC semi-final
- Gowna 2-12 Crosserlough 2-11
Donegal SFC semi-final
- St Eunan’s 1-13 Kilcar 1-11
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OISIN PIERSON HELD his nerve to land an injury-time free which sent Gowna into the Cavan SFC final after a pulsating game against Crosserlough in Breffni Park this evening.
In a match that brought four goals – three of them absolute belters – Gowna regained their composure after a nervy spell in the second-half when they blew a five-point lead.
Level entering injury-time, they then prevailed, courtesy of Pierson’s point. Despite being the final chapter, that was not the only storyline to grab people’s attention.
For a start, there was the start, as the game got off to a ferocious start with four points in as many minutes, two for each side, Conor Casey and Tiarnan Madden for Gowna, Stephen Smith and Patrick Lynch for Crosserlough.
We were only warming up. After Smith added a second point, Gowna got the game’s first goal, a brilliant fetch from Conor Madden that was followed by an even better finish, 1-2 to 0-3 to Gowna.
Kiernan's Service Station Senior Football Championship Gowna Goal....#KSSSFC#CavanGAA2022 pic.twitter.com/ZzpGdWkUFX
— Official Cavan GAA (@CavanCoBoardGaa) October 1, 2022
Lynch reduced the gap to one but soon it was up to four when Conor Casey scored a tremendous goal for Gowna – a run from outside the 45 that ended with a right-footed shot to the net.
Three of the next four scores went Crosserlough’s way – Lynch with two frees, Dara McVeety with one from play – to cut the gap to two. Then Robbie Fitzpatrick’s point made it a three-point game before the third superb goal of the game, this one scored by Stephen Smith, a powerfully placed shot to the top corner.
Level – 1-7 to 2-4 – at the break, the game looked to be going Gowna’s way in the second half when they scored six of the first seven points of the new half, leading by five points with 15 minutes to play.
Kiernan's Service Station Senior Football Championship Gowna Goal no2. Conor Casey#KSSSFC#CavanGAA2022 pic.twitter.com/wiY9Meuydo
— Official Cavan GAA (@CavanCoBoardGaa) October 1, 2022
But back came Crosserlough. James Smith got a point and Peter Smith a goal, via a penalty, all within a two-minute spell. Suddenly there was just one between them and heading into injury time, McVeety and Adrian Smith (Crosserlough point scorers) and Robbie Fitzpatrick (Gowna) ensured the scores were tied. Up stepped Pierson. Up step Gowna to the Cavan county final.
In Donegal, St Eunan’s defeated six-times champions Kilcar in their semi-final, winning by two points.
The tone for their win was set early when Padraig McGetigan’s goal put them 1-1 to 0-1 ahead on seven minutes.
They stayed clear throughout the half, and at one point led by six, until Jason Campbell scored a crucial goal for Kilcar two minutes into first-half stoppage time.
On it went. Patrick McBrearty was remarkably good and when he and Ryan McHugh rattled off three points in a row, the game was level at the midway point of the second half.
The key score therefore was Kevin Kealy’s point. That stopped the momentum. St Eunan’s – despite McBrearty’s brilliance – saw it out.
