Classy Caherlistrane prove a bridge too far for Davitts
A bit of a stretch. Davitts and Caherlistrane players competing during the AIB Connacht club IFC semi-final at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park. Picture: Conor McKeown
Under the grey, brooding Mayo winter sky and the piercing glare of the MacHale Park floodlights, there is something almost Shakespearean about the sudden and cruel termination of a club's championship dream.
Davitts had carried themselves previously through a vibrant, hard-earned road that had brought them glory in the Mayo intermediate championship - they came into this game hoping it could spur them on to greater heights.
Instead, they walked straight into a tidal wave of white and blue jerseys that were relentless from whistle to whistle. They will Winter well all the same, with senior football secured for next year and the county title in the bag. As for Connacht, that was just a bridge too far.
Just over 90 days since they started their Intermediate Championship campaign and 47 days before Christmas; Davitts intermediate odyssey ended in Hastings Insurance McHale Park on Sunday evening at the hands of a classy Caherlistrane outfit.
Ten minutes before the break the south Mayo men were clinging on for dear life in this game, trailing 2-8 to 0-2 having been thoroughly outplayed by a rampant Galway side - but to their credit they did hit 1-5 without reply to go in trailing by just four points at the break.
However, the hoped for second half comeback never materialised as Caherlistrane kept them at arm’s length all the way through the second half before running out ten-point winners.
Richard McGrath pointed right off the throw-in before Shane Greaney added two pointed frees and Timmy Madden got point number four for his side eight minutes in.
Niall Treacy opened the scoring for Davitts not long after with a nicely taken effort, but three minutes later their first real gut punch of the day arrived when Ciaran Donnellan rolled the ball past Ronan McNamara for his sides first major of the day. Greaney and Johnny McGrath rapidly raised a white flag each afterwards as the Galway champions exerted their dominance at their ease.
Niall Treacy slotted over his side's second point of the afternoon from a free, after it looked like a good shout for a black card penalty had been waived away by referee Barry Judge when Fenton Kelly was fouled on his way to goal.
Conor Faulkner who replaced Ciaran Donnellan minutes earlier after he picked up an injury in the process of getting his side's first goal, got point number six for his side before Alan Morris got in on the scoring act reeling off 1-1 between the 18th and 20th minute.
Rather than throw in the towel, Davitts dug deep and spurred on by a Niall Treacy effort and a two-pointer from Jack Melvin the began to work their way back into the game.
Treacy hit two more pointed frees either side of a Jack Melvin goal from the penalty spot that saw Caherlistrane full back Shane Bohan receive a black card.
There were a few feisty exchanges between the sides heading down the tunnel at half-time, leaving the game nicely poised for a classic second half.
However, it was not to be as Caherlistrane were able to jab their way around the Davitts challenge and shut them out from the scoreboard for long periods of time.
Faulkner, Greaney and Madden all registered early second half points to stretch the lead back out to seven points. Another mini Davitts rally saw Jack Roynane and Cathal Corless point either side of two-pointer from Treacy to bring the deficit back to four points with 12 minutes to go.
But unfortunately, when Kieran McDonagh came up from goal to drain a two-pointer on 52 minutes, the game was up and Caherlistrane were able to stretch their lead back out to ten before the final whistle as Davitts went chasing a miracle.
Scores - Caherlistrane: Shane Greaney 0-0-7 (6f), Alan Morris 1-0-1, Ciaran Donnellan 1-0-0, Kieran McDonagh 0-1-0 (1tpf), Connor Faulkner and Timmy Madden 0-0-2 each, Johnny McGrath, Richard McGrath, Stephen Lawless, Kian O’Donoghue 0-0-1 each.
Davitts: Niall Treacy 0-1-5 (4f), Jack Melvin 1-1-0 (1-0pen, 1tpf), Jack Roynane and Cathal Corless 0-0-1 each.
Caherlistrane: Kieran McDonagh; Sean Kyne, Shane Bohan, Evan Cunningham; Johnny McGrath, Richard McGrath, Cian Molloy; Stephen Lawless, Kevin Nally; Adam McGreal, Shane Greaney, Alan Morris; Oisin O’Brien, Ciaran Donnellan, Timmy Madden. Subs: Conor Faulkner (for Donnellan), Kian O’Donoghue (for McGreal), Cormac Hanley (for Molloy), Steven Graney (for O’Brien).
Davitts: Ronan McNamara; Tom Roynane, Cathal Higgins, Brian Birmingham; Tom Waldron, Charlie Phillips, Cathal Corless; Cian Naughton, Fenton Kelly; Shane Treacy, Jack Roynane, Jack Melvin; Ronan Kelly, Niall Treacy, Ciaran Treacy. Subs: Colm Boyle (for Waldron), Liam Kearns (for R Kelly), Conor McDermott (for B Birmingham), Mark Birmingham (for Ronayne).
REF: Barry Judge (Sligo)
