London v Cavan - GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1A
1A Qualifiers: Cavan win in London
GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Round 1A: London 0-11 Cavan 2-22
Terry Hyland's Cavan were too much for London at Ruislip on Saturday. Goals from Gearóid McKiernan andDara McVeety put the gloss on the score-line but even without the green flags, it would have been acomfortable victory for the visitors.
Towards the end, there was some exhibition finishing with substitute Enda Reilly producing an impressive score from distance and goalkeeper Raymond Galligan coming upfield to dispatch a free over the bar.
The early signs were good for London with Mark Gottsche, in a new centre forward role, supplying David McGreevy for a well-taken opening score.
Cavan's first chance went astray with Niall McDermott kicking wide. They threatened shortly after with Gearóid McKiernan launching a powerful run that went all the way. Although his eventual effort went wide, he could have had a goal or at least a point.
Cavan did pounce when Martin McCoy's ball out of defence was blocked, allowing them to counter. Killian Clarke broke with a good run before laying off to Niall Murray for the equalising point.
Niall McDermott followed this swiftly with a point that made up for his earlier miss. 0-2 to 0-1 in the visitors' favour, things had turned swiftly.
A 40-yard free won by Mark Gottsche gave Cavan native Lorcan Mulvey the chance to bring London level on the 10 minute mark.
Cavan quickly re-established their point lead with a free of their own from Niall McDermott. A Tomás Corr score provided breathing space.
London needed scores but were struggling to break into Cavan territory.
Niall McDermott's close-range free put three points between the teams.
A quick Lorcan Mulvey free led to London's next score, their first in almost ten minutes. A patient passing move involving Cathal Greene, Scott Conroy and Adrian Moyles led to Niall Boyle playing the ball into the danger zone for Alan O'Hara to rise high enough to beat Raymond Galligan in the Cavan goal to punch the ball over the bar.
Unfortuately, this would be London's last score until just before the half-time whistle as Cavan further took the initiative.
Niall McDermott, Dara McVeety, Gearóid McKieran and Martin Reilly (with a free) all found scores to make it 0-9 to 0-3 in Cavan's favour at the half hour mark.
McDermott once again and determined Tomas Corr further stretched the visitors' lead with London's only response before the half-time whistle coming from an Alan O'Hara free.
London started the second half as they finished the first, with Alan O'Hara pointing. London started the second half well, with several players looking noticeably improved from poor opening periods.
Gearóid McKiernan was quick to cancel out this score but London came again with substitute Liam Gavaghanproducing an excellent score. Mark Gottsche would find Lorcan Mulvey for a point that narrowed the gap to just five points.
This would be as close as London got.
Dara McVeety was allowed to run deep into London territory once again for an excellent score before Tomás Corr re-established Cavan's seven-point lead.
There was a long stoppage due to Rory Dunne sustaining a suspected dislocated ankle and having to be taken from the field in an ambulance.
There was only one team in it from the resumption. Substitute Cian Mackey would put eight between the teams before Cavan then found the net for the first time. Through on goal, Michael Argue's shot was difficult for London goalkeeper Declan Traynor but he did manage to stop it. Gearoid McKiernan was first to react and followed up to tap it in.
London never looked like getting back into the match from here. McKiernan would point three times to make the score 1-18 to 0-7 in Cavan's favour. The clock showed 26 minutes of the second half gone but there would be much stoppage time to Dunne's exit.
Lorcan Mulvey pointed from a short range free before London were rocked by another hammer blow. Again Michael Argue was creator, putting the ball across the London goal for Dara McVeety to palm into the net and end any London hopes of progressing in this All-Ireland championship.
Enda Reilly, Mark McKeever, McKiernan once more and goalkeeper Raymond Galligan would all point for Cavan as they ran out 17 point winners.
Lorcan Mulvey pointed three times for London, once from play, in the closing stages.
London would finish the match with 14 with Cathal Og Greene being shown a second yellow for a foul on Damien O'Reilly. Caomhin Carty had been shown a black card for London much earlier in the game.
LONDON: Declan Traynor, Brian Collins, Philip Butler, Stephen Curran, Martin McCoy, Caomhin Carty, DavidMcGreevy (0-1), Martin Carroll, Aaraon Bradley, Scott Conroy, Mark Gottsche, Cathal Greene, Alan O'Hara(0-3, 1F), Lorcan Mulvey (0-6, 4F), Adrian Moyles. Subs: Niall Boyle for Carty (black card, 16 min),Liam Gavaghan (0-1) for Moyles (31 min), Ashley Carr for O'Hara (41 min), Conor Sheridan for Conroy (51min), Andrew O'Regan for Bradley (68 min), Stephen Devine for McCoy (68 min)
CAVAN: Raymond Galligan (0-1, 1 x 45), Jason McLoughlin, Rory Dunne, Killian Clarke, Ciaran Brady,Feargal Flanagan, Damien O'Reilly, Tomas Corr (0-2), Gearoid McKiernan (1-7), Dara McVeety (1-2), NiallMurray (0-1), Martin Reilly (0-1, 1F), Ronan Flanagan, Michael Argue, Niall McDermott (0-5, 2F). Subs:Cian Mackey (0-1) for Clarke (10 min), James McEnroe for Dunne (54 min) Enda Reilly (0-1) for R Flanagan(61 min) Paul Smith for Reilly (68 min), Mark McKeever (0-1) for Brady (68 min), Killian Brady forMurray (70+ 2 min).
Report: David Hennessy
