Lacken too strong for Doire Trasna in Ulster Junior Club Championship

Doire Trasna 1-05, Lacken Celtic 2-14

Lacken Celtic's power and experience proved a bridge too far for Derry champions Doire Trasna in Saturday's Ulster Junior Football Championship round one clash at Find Insurance Celtic Park.

The Cavan champions, who included Cavan's 2020 Ulster championship winning All Stars Raymond and Thomas Galligan, brought a physicality that a Trasna team which started with five teenagers struggled to match.

Midfielder Thomas Galligan was the Lacken driving force but all over the pitch Aidan McCabe's team, who are one of the favourites to lift the provincial title, looked more streetwise than their youthful Oak Leaf opponents who also lost John McKivergan to a late black card.

Lacken's strong start had them in control at 1-04 to 0-1 by the 17th minute and leading 1-9 to 0-04 at the break with The Pearses struggling to deal with the Cavan's team's intensity.

That changed after half-time when whatever Colm Mac Eoin said at half-time brought an impressive response from Trasna. The Waterside men held Lacken scoreless for 12 second half minutes and should have brought the Breffni men back to within touching distance

With Oran Donnelly moved out the field from full forward, Trasna went at Lacken in a Derry dominated third quarter that saw Eoghan Quigg hit the net from the penalty spot and Tom Casey presented with a clear run on goal after a Raymond Galligan mistake. The former Cavan county manager redeemed himself with a fantastic save at Casey's feet at a stage when a goal would reduced the visitors’ lead to only two points.

Trasna also saw a pass from Colm Conneely inches too high for Somhairle McFadden at the back post in a third goal chance during the city side's best spell of the match.

However, with only one of those converted, Trasna's purple patch was brought to an abrupt end by Killian Galligan who slammed home Lacken's second goal to thwart Davy Og Officer's superb goal line clearance following Thomas Galligan's initial shot. From there, Lacken were in control and McCabe's team, who were wasteful at times, had too much nous to let control be wrestled away for a second time.

Trasna went into the tie missing defensive lynchpin Tomas McCrossan who suffered a fracture in the county final, meaning reshuffle that saw Davy Og Officer move to full-back and teenager Thomas Dobbins start in the corner. There was a reunion of sorts too for Pearses captain and midfield talisman Caolan Doyle who had faced Cavan at Croke Park back in 2013 as part of the London squad which reached the Connacht senior final.

Cian Galligan's first minute point got the scoreboard moving but Pearses were level thanks to Caelan O'Connell excellent run and shot 60 seconds later. However an unanswered 1-03 in the next 15 minutes put the Breffni men in charge.

Points from Ryan Coyle and Killian Galligan gave Lacken the lead before, on 14 minutes, Thomas Galligan managed to hold off Doyle and gather a high ball toward goal before turning and firing left footed to the net.

Casey's 19th minute point was Pearses’ second but Killian Galligan, Karl Clerkin (2), Joe Galligan and Raymond Galligan ('45) had all added to the tally before Eoghan Quigg's excellent two pointer brought the opening half to a close with the visitors eight ahead at 1-09 to 0-4.

Flynn Doherty too had made a superb save from Peter Galligan while his brother, Raymond, had been uncharacteristically off target from a number of frees. And for a spell after the restart it looked like Lacken's misses might prove costly.

First, Conneely's piercing run opened Lacken up but with McFadden waiting to punch home at the back post, the crossfield kick toward him was inches too high.

Next Connelly was setting up Casey with a great pass as the Pearses half-forward charged through the middle. He got his shot away which prompted a superb near post save by Galligan but Casey had shot under severe pressure from Lacken corner back James Smith and Donegal referee Ryan Walsh pointed to the spot. Up stepped Quigg to slot home an excellent penalty and suddenly, at 1-04 to 1-09, Pearses had found some belief.

The belief may have turned into real momentum when, on 42 minutes, Conor O'Donnell's high centre was punched straight out to Casey by keeper Galligan under no pressure. Casey was through, but Galligan showed all his experience to block at the feet of the Trasna man and redeem himself.

And just two minutes later, the ball was in the Trasna net in a six point swing that ended the game as a contest. Officer did brilliantly to hook Thomas Galligan's effort off the line but unfortunately for Pearses Killian Galligan was following up and slammed home for 2-09 to 1-04.

Lacken never looked back and while Trasna heads never dropped, it was a gap the Derry men never looked like closing against a team more used to competing at senior level in the Breffni county.

Lacken advance but Trasna - and especially the club's younger players - will have taken plenty from the experience against a seasoned outfit who are likely to go very close in Ulster. It wasn't the finale Trasna wanted after a superb championship winning season but foundations are now in place for a bright future.

Doire Trasna scorers: Eoghan Quigg 1-2 (1tp, 1pen), Tom Casey 0-1, Colm Conneely 0-1, Oran Donnelly 0-1.

Lacken scorers: Thomas Galligan 1-0, Cian Galligan 0-3, Killian Galligan 1-3 (1f), Karl Clerkin 0-2, Ryan Coyle 0-2 (1f), Joe Galligan 0-1, Raymond Galligan 0-1 (1 '45'), Darragh O'Reilly 0-1, Paul Leddy 0-1.

Doire Trasna: Flynn Doherty, Thomas Dobbins, David Officer, Sean Fleming, Cathan Duffy, Conor O'Donnell, Caelan O'Connell, Caolan Doyle, John McKivergan, Eoghan Devlin, Tom Casey, Somhairle McFadden, Colm Conneely, Eoghan Quigg, Oran Donnelly. (Subs) Jack McCarron for C Conneely, 45mins; Niall Gallagher for C Duffy, 54mins; Dylan Deery for S McFadden, 55mins.

Lacken Celtic: Raymond Galligan, James Smith, David Wilson, James Pryce, Peter Galligan, Shane Moynagh, Craig Lanauze, Thomas Galligan, Joe Galligan, Aodhgan Halton, Ryan Coyle, Stephen Brady, Cian Galligan, Killian Galligan, Karl Clerkin. (Subs) Donal McSorley for P Galligan, 42mins; James Galligan for S Brady, 47mins; Mark Wilson for K Clerkin, 50mins; Paul Leddy for T Galligan, 54mins; Finn Riley for A Halton, 55mins.

Referee: Ryan Walsh (Donegal)