No winners in Drumshanbo despite Cavan's 22 point victory over Leitrim

In one of the strangest twists of fate, nobody was happy at the end of Saturday’s Lory Meagher Cup clash in Drumshanbo’s Shane McGettigan Park with Cavan’s player, who won a one-sided contest by 22 points, just as disappointing as their Leitrim counterparts.

Leitrim’s slim hopes were already over before this game took place but Cavan were chasing a place in the final, needing a big swing in scoring difference. That motivation showed in a contest where a sharper and more motivated Cavan dominated against a stubborn Green & Gold side who battled but lacked the strength in depth and slick stickwork of their rivals.

In another bizarre twist, Leitrim keeper Clement Cunniffe had to pick the ball out of his net seven times yet he was one of the game’s outstanding personalities, making a string of saves, including one from a penalty, to prevent a hammering turning into a completely embarrassing route.

Equally strange was the fact that Cavan were awarded two penalties but only got to take one after referee Michael Connolly opted to give a throw-ball after Cavan full-forward Brian Fitzgerald got into a bout of positional barging before the penalty, refusing to stop trying to move the immovable Conor Beirne.

Referee Connolly obviously lost patience and threw the ball in and in fairness, the same decision wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow for a free out the field in similar circumstances but it was still strange to see the penalty not given!

ANOTHER HEARTBREAKING ONE POINT DEFEAT AS LEITRIM'S PROVINCIAL B FINAL JINX CONTINUES

For a Leitrim team in transition, this was a tough afternoon - there were spells where they were more than a match for an experienced Cavan side but the superior touch of the Breffni blues and their scoring power was just too much for Olcan Conway’s side.

Incredibly, despite their mammoth win, Cavan’s day ended in disappointment as a draw between Fermanagh and Longford meant that they missed out on the final thanks to Longford’s win last week in Kingspan Breffni Park.

For Leitrim, a period of rebuilding lies ahead but with the County U20 team contesting the All-Ireland C Final next Saturday against Monaghan, there is optimism for the future. None of those players were risked against Cavan, stretching Leitrim’s already thin resources.

Manager Olcan Conway also indicated that he has stepped down from his role after the game, the U20 Final next Saturday in Kingspan Breffni Park his last outing and it will be a tough job to replace the Derry native who brought so much enthusiasm and drive to the role.

Leitrim actually opened brightly, Michael O’Brien hitting a wide before Joe Murray profited from good work from O’Brien to fire over a fine point. But the tone of the game was soon set as referee Michael Connolly awarded a penalty after a foul on Cavan’s Brian Fitzgerald, Liam O’Brien hitting the resulting goal chance wide.

After an extensive consultation with the umpires, a penalty was awarded and Paul Lenehan booked before an even more bizarre take, Fitzgerald getting caught up battling for position with Conor Beirne. The Eslin man wasn’t for moving and the Cavan player wouldn’t stop jostling with him, so much so that the referee penalised Cavan and threw the ball in, instead of allowing the penalty be taken.

Canice Maher tied the scores on five minutes before the strong wind hampered two placed balls from Murray but Cavan, with that wind at their back, soon found their range and hit three points in as many minutes from O’Brien, Maher and O’Brien (free) before Murray responded with a good point, although a goal may have been on.

Cavan were starting to pull clear, points from Nicholas Kenny and O’Brien (2) matched by a 60 yard Gavin O’Hagan free but when Sean Keating burst through from distance, he blasted to the Leitrim net for the game’s first goal.

Sean Markham fires a shot at the Cavan goal on Saturday Picture: Willie Donnellan

O’Hagan and Murray were both on target either side of a Cillian Sheanon point but Cavan virtually ended the game with an unanswered1-6 in a seven minute spell before halftime, the goal coming from Brian Fitzgerald after good work from Keating and points from Keating, Kenny, Diarmuid Carney and O’Brien (3).

Paul Lenehan halted Cavan’s scoring spree with a fine point while Clement Cunniffe made a good save from a low Maher shot before an O’Hagan free in added time left Cavan with a 2-14 to 0-7 halftime lead.

Sean Markham was introduced at halftime and he made an immediate impact with a fine point from the corner after just 20 seconds before Conor Beirne launched a shot from well inside his own half well over the Cavan crossbar.

Nicholas Kenny missed a goal chance but five minutes in, Canice Maher blasted home. Gavin O’Hagan tapped over after a poor Cavan puckout. O’Hagan would tap over a 44th minute free but Cavan’s response was three goals in the space of four minutes, Fitzgerald slamming home after a Sheanon run down the centre.

The second goal came after Clement Cunniffe challenged Fitzgerald for a ball but the sliothar broke from Nicholas Kenny who drove the ball to the Leitrim net. Barely a minute later, Sheanon drove a great shot to the Leitrim net before David McGovern hit a fine point for distance for Leitrim.

As Cavan kept looking for goals to bolster their bd to reach the Lory Meagher Final, Clement Cunniffe made a series of wonder saves, denying Maher, Sheanon and Maher again before Gavin O’Brien fired over for Leitrim after 58 minutes. Maher and O’Brien would tag on further Cavan points before a foul on Fitzgerald saw the visitors awarded another penalty.

This time, however, Cunniffe made a great save from Maher to deny him another goal with Leitrim surging with three Joe Murray scores, two from frees and the first after he absorbed a big hit to fire over. Cavan’s Thomas Leonard and Sean Keating replied before Murray completed Leitrim’s scoring two minutes before the end of normal time from a free.

LEITRIM WERE SICK OF LOSING BIG GAMES - KASEY BRUEN

The Breffni men, even with an 18 point lead, refused to back down as Cunniffe made brilliant saves from sub Rian Delaney, twice, and Kenny while Keating blasted a shot off the crossbar. But the goal did come two minutes into added time when Kenny hit home a seventh goal.

With Leonard completing the scoring, the game ended sourly with both Paul Lenehan and Conor Beirne getting their marching order for two yellow cards to end Leitrim’s inter-county hurling season at senior level.

LEITRIM

Scorers: Joe Murray 0-8, 4f; Gavin O’Hagan 0-5, 4f; Conor Beirne, Sean Markham, Paul Lenehan, Gavin O’Brien & David McGovern 0-1 each

Team: Clement Cunniffe, David McGovern, Conor Beirne, Jerome Fitzgibbon, Conor Hackett, Paul Lenehan, Niall Crowe, Martin Feeney, Philip Burgess, Michael O’Brien, Joe Murray, Gavin O’Hagan, Sean O’Riordan, James McNabola, Stephen Goldrick. Subs: Sean  Markham for Crowe (HT); Gavin O’Brien for O’Riordan (41); Senan Keane for Burgess (53); Kevin Clerkin for O’Hagan (54); Robbie Casey for McNabola (58)

CAVAN

Scorers: Liam O’Brien 0-8, 5f; Nicholas Kenny 2-2; Canice Maher 1-3; Brian Fitzgerald 2-0; Sean Keating 1-2; Cillian Sheanon 1-1; Thomas Leonard 0-2; Diarmuid Carney 0-1

Team: Conor Gallagher, Shane Briody, Dominic Crudden, Diarmuid Carney, Jack Barry, Enda Shalvey, Gavin Fitzpatrick, Dillon Mulligan, Thomas Leonard, Liam O’Brien, Cillian Sheanon, Nicholas Kenny, Sean Keating, Brian Fitzgerald, Canice Maher. Subs: Matthew Hynes for Crudden (HT); Mark Moffett for Barry (42); Rian Delaney for Fizgerald (65)

Referee: Michael Connolly (Sligo)