Longford GAA: Peter Farrell the matchwinner as Grattans overcome Cashel to claim league title

Winners of the Junior ‘A’ Football Championship last year, progressive Young Grattans are coping well with the step up in grade and some more silverware was collected as they came from five points down (1-5 to 0-3) to eventually overcome Cashel in the Patsy Reilly Cup Final at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Saturday evening last. 

Young Grattans . . . 2-12   Cashel . . . 2-7

In making amends for losing out to the same opposition in the Division 2 Football League for the Michael Moran Cup and promotion to the top flight, Grattans made the most of the opportunity of gaining consolation in the Tier 2 Top 4 competition and their matchwinner was impressive wing forward Peter Farrell who ended up with 1-5 to his credit.
Farrell started the ball rolling when he converted a crucial two-pointer free with seven minutes gone in the second half and he struck the killer blow with a decisive goal in the closing stages of the contest in this confidence boost for the well drilled Grattans side (managed by Dromard clubman Niall Vance) in the build up to the forthcoming Intermediate Championship campaign.
Conor Murtagh scored both goals for Cashel who were punished for making too many mistakes and were reduced to 14 players when Dan O’Shea was sent-off after receiving a straight red card in the 54th minute.
Grattans also ended up with 14 men on the pitch when midfielder Beau O’Connor was sent-off for a silly second yellow card offence for retaliation a couple of minutes earlier but they produced a strong finish to emerge victorious.
Former Clonguish and Longford player Paddy Dowd was a second half substitute for Cashel who are coached by one of their own, Gary Kenny, the team manager.
The men in ‘red and black, winners of the Michael Moran Cup for the overall Division 2 league title, will need to improve on this performance in the hope of making a major impact in this year’s wide open Intermediate Championship.
Thanks to a well-worked goal from Conor Murtagh in the 18th minute, Cashel were looking good when they established what appeared to be a comfortable 1-5 to 0-3 lead with their points coming from Jack Sweeney, Murtagh, Conor Farrell (two-pointer) and wing back Jamie Bermingham.
Fielding without the Murray brothers Karl and Reuben, Grattans got off to a great start with a brace of early points from Gary Hand while defender Conor McHugh (winner of a Leinster minor football championship medal with Longford last year) also got his name on the scoresheet midway through the first half.
Another point followed from John Hand and when Cashel conceded a gift goal when a shot from Eoin Kinlan was miskicked over the line by Andrew Farrell in stoppage time, the gap was closed to the minimum of margins at the break, 1-5 to 1-4.
Wind assisted Grattans gradually got on top on the changeover as they added another 1-8 to their tally with Peter Farrell inflicting most of the damage.
Harry Mulvihill (denied a goal), Eoin Farrell and Rory Howlin were also on target whereas Cashel were restricted to 1-2 with their chief marksman Conor Murtagh accounting for a goal and a point (free) with Steven Weafer getting the other score at the start of the second half.

YOUNG GRATTANS: Stephen Hussey; Niall Nerney, David Bermingham, Jack Tiernan; Conor McHugh (0-1), James Moran, Stephen Oates; Beau O’Connor, Eoin Farrell (0-1); Harry Mulvihill (0-1), Gary Hand (0-2), Peter Farrell (1-5, 1 two-pointer free, 2 frees); Eoin Kinlan (1-0), Rory Howlin (0-1), John Hand (captain, 0-1).

Subs:- Emmet Clarke for J Tiernan (30 mins); Jack Finnegan for E Kinlan (55 mins); Gerard Victory for H Mulvihill (60 mins); Willie Stokes for R Howlin (60 mins). 

CASHEL: Shane Bannon; Luke O’Boyle, Andrew Farrell, Aidan Mulvihill; Jamie Bermingham (0-1), Aidan Rowan, Mel Farrell; Conor Farrell (0-2, two-pointer), Oran Killian; Steven Weafer (0-1), Dan O’Shea, Jack Sweeney (0-1); Conor Murtagh (2-2, 1 free), Ronan Farrell, Rian O’Boyle.

Subs:- Paddy Dowd for O Killian (36 mins); Emmett Murtagh for S Weafer (42 mins); Kevin Farrell for R Farrell (42 mins); James Skelly for P Dowd (54 mins); Jack Brogan for J Bermingham (60 mins). 

Referee: David Reynolds (Killoe Emmet Og).