Ramor United on top in Local Derby
Ramor United 0.13 Castlerahan 1.9

Ramor United came through, winning by the narrowest of margins in this first round fixture of the Cavan Senior Championship. The game was played in splendid sunshine on a well-groomed Mountnugent pitch. Both teams gave their all in a highly competitive and entertaining game of football. Only a last minute point deep in injury time separated the sides.

The first half was all Castlerahan. The two Paul Bradys lorded the mid-field area in this period leaving Ramor feeding off scraps. Points by Paul Farrelly (2) opened affairs for Castlerahan. Keith Soden replied with a pointed effort. Enda Mulvey put Castlerahan further ahead with a well-taken point. Donagh Courtney and Paddy McNamee pointed and levelled proceedings at the end of the first quarter. Castlerahan took control from here on in the half with points from Paul Brady, Paul Farrelly and Daniel Lynch. Castlerahan were good for their lead at half time of Castlerahan 0.6 Ramor 0.3.

Whatever Leo McEnroe said to the Ramor boys at half time they came out a transformed side for the second half. With Ray Cole and David McDonnell operating from the middle they totalled dominated this sector for much of the half. From the good supply of ball won, points were scored by Ramor trio Ronan Keating(an inspired second half substitute), Paddy McNamee and Keith Soden levelling the match on forty minutes. Courtney and Soden cancelled Castlerahan points from Enda Mulvey and Daniel Lynch tying the match for the third time.

Enda Mulvey collected a ball way out on his left wing slipped his marker and centred to Castlerahan's Paddy Cusack who drilled the ball to the Ramor net. This score would have sunk a lesser team but Ramor showed great grit with points from Donagh Courtney, Ronan Keating and a pointed free from Keith Soden to tie the scores again with five minutes remaining. Ramor's Ray Cole, who had a great second half pointed only for Enda Mulvey to equalise on sixty minutes. The game went into injury time and it was county player Shane Cole who came up trumps with the winner for Ramor in injury time.

This was a good hard but fair local derby played in ideal conditions. The game was level on five occasions. Ramor won but both teams can take positives out of the game for their future championship fixtures.

Teams and scores:
Ramor United: F Conway. R Fitzsimons. P Brennan. B Fitzsimons. P Monaghan. N McHugo. D Sheridan. R Cole (0.1).P Kermath. K Soden(0.4). S Cole(0.1) D McDonnell. P McNamee(0.2). D Courtney(0.3) D Tynan
Substitutes: R Keating (0.2). D Morgan.

Castlerahan: S Cusack. J Lynch. S Fitzpatrick. P Cunningham. D Smith. J Clarke. C McBreen. P Brady. P Brady (0.1). N Duignan. A Mulvey. P Cusack 9(1.0). P Farrelly (0.2).E Mulvey (0.3). D Lynch (0.3)
Substitute: Ciaran Lynch

Referee: Martin Brady Ballineagh

Match report by Peter Soden, Ramor United PRO