All Ireland SFC Round One Qualifier

**CAVAN 2-16 WICKLOW 1-5 **

By Brendan Lawrence at Joule Park, Aughrim

Cavan marched on in the All-Ireland football qualifiers with a comprehensive victory over a limited Wicklow side in a sun-kissed Joule Park Aughrim on Saturday evening.  

Having exited the Ulster Championship at the hands of Donegal, Mattie McGleenan was hoping his men could navigate what looked to be a tricky clash with John Evans' outfit and he got the answer to his dreams when they completely outclassed the home side to win by 2-16 to 1-5, inflicting the second heavy defeat on the Garden County in a row after their tame exit from the Leinster Championship at the hands of Dublin. 

Cavan looked dangerous from the off, building patiently from the back until they could find a gap or a hole in the Wicklow rearguard and they had splendid showings from Gearóid McKiernan at centre half-forward and their two half-backs Ciarán Brady and Martin Reilly to help them to a 2-8 to 0-1 lead at the break.  

Cavan's goals arrived in the 20th minute from the penalty spot after a foul on the impressive Killian Clarke and right at the death of the opening period when Ciarán Brady lashed home off his left to the back of Mark Jackson's net.  

Wicklow's opening score didn't arrive until the 25th minute; a testament to the quality of the Cavan defence and the weakness in the Wicklow game plan of leaving James Stafford up top all alone with inadequate support when long balls were played in.  

Wicklow started the second half well and Mark Jackson slotted a free, but registered four wides before Cavan swept down the field and fired over the bar from the boot of the marauding Gearóid McKiernan. 2-10 to 0-2 and most certainly no way back for Wicklow at this stage.  

The home side went looking for goals in a big way for the rest of the game with high deliveries into James Stafford but time and time again they were repelled by a mixture of misfortune and strong defending while Cavan could always break upfield and point with relative ease with Caoimhin O'Reilly, Dara McVeety, Cian Mackey (two, one free), Ciarán Brady and that man Gearóid McKiernan finishing the scoring for the visitors as they ran out winners.

Scorers for Cavan: Gearóid McKiernan 0-5 (1f), Ciarán Brady 1-3, Martin Reilly 1-0 (pen), Seánie Johnston 0-2 (1f), Caoimhin O'Reilly 0-2 (2f), Dara McVeety 0-1, Oisín Kiernan 0-1, Cian Mackey 0-2 (1f).  

Scorers for Wicklow: Mark Jackson 0-3 (2fs, 1 45), James Stafford 1-00, Darren Hayden 0-1 (f), Rory Finn 0-01. 

WICKLOW: Mark Jackson; Eoin Murtagh, Ross O'Brien, Paul Merrigan; John Crowe, Dean Healy, Saoirse Kearon; Rory Finn, James Stafford; Theo Smyth, Jamie Snell, Darren Hayden; Seanie Furlong, John McGrath, Mark Kenny.

Subs: Kevin Murphy for J Crowe (34); Darragh Fitzgerald for J McGrath (HT); Cathal Magee for S Kearon (42); Daniel Keane for S Furlong (BC, 47); Brendan Kennedy for T Smyth (56); PJ O’Keeffe for K Murphy (56).

CAVAN: James Farrelly; Killian Brady, Pádraig Faulkner, Enda Flanagan; Ciarán Brady, Conor Moynagh, Martin Reilly; Seán McCormack, Killian Clarke; Bryan Magee, Gearóid McKiernan, Oisín Kiernan; Caoimhin O'Reilly, Dara McVeety, Seán Johnston.

Subs: Conor Bradley for B Magee (45); Cian Mackey for S Johnston (51); Jack Wharton for C Moynagh (56); Niall Clerkin for C O’Reilly (59); Dónal Monahan for E Flanagan (61); Adrian Cole for D McVeety (63).

REFEREE: Jerome Henry (Mayo).