Cootehill Celtic GAA

History of Cootehill Celtic GAA Club

Famous Wins - Intermediate League Final 1971

18^th December 1971

Cootehill Fight Back to Draw

Cootehill Celtic    0 – 07                   Killeshandra         1 – 04

Charlier Gallagher, so long the saviour of Cavan Inter-County teams down the years, stepped into the breach once again to save his club, Cootehill, the ignominy of defeat at the hands of Killeshandra when in the final of the Intermediate Football League he brought his side back from certain defeat to force a draw in an entertaining final at Breffni Park on Sunday.

The strong wind which prevailed right throughout played a significant part in the game and almost spelled disaster for each side in turn but more especially for Cootehill who were seeking the elusive double.  When Killeshandra got first taste of wind advantage their increasing pressure on the Cootehill defence failed to reap the expected benefits and at half-time Cootehill only trailed by 1 – 3 to 0 – 1.  The effort of Cootehill – practically non-existent in the opening exchanges took on a new impetus with the introduction of Charlie Gallagher into attack for his first game in the league.  His presence transformed Cootehill into a winning combination.

Gallagher showed that his old scoring touch hadn’t passed and he shot five points in that second period and provided his colleagues in attack with a lesson in opportunism.  The game was keenly contested and the referee, Fintan Tierney, sent a player from each side to the line, Paddy Cochrane, a Cootehill defender, was the first to go and was followed shortly by Killeshandra’s left half back, Chas. Rourke.

Killeshandra put in a great effort to gain the laurels but were not just good enough.  They had their opportunities to put the issue beyond doubt in the first half but the attack – after an early burst – failed to sustain their effort and in the end they were fortunate to hold on to what little advantage they had.  In the lineout, goalkeeper Rory Toal was safe and he got excellent covering from his full back line of Billy Murphy, Brendan Toal and Eugene Fitzpatrick.  In the half back line St. Pat’s player John Sweeney was very sound. At midfield, Brian O’Dowd and John Brady were well in command in the first half but had to give way for much of the second period.  Pick of the attack was, unquestionably, Mark Goldrick who once again finished top scorer and he got good support from Tommy Galligan, Hugh Reynolds and MI. Reilly.

Cootehill, who have not been shining as was expected in this competition, were not very impressive.  Hugh Sherlock, at right-back, was the outstanding player on the team while Dermot Coyle and Dermot Fitzpatrick tried hard in defence.  In attack only Charlie Gallagher, Eamon and Brendan McCabe came out with reputations untarnished.

The Play

Killeshandra were the first to score when Mark Goldrick shot a point in the 5th minute.  Cootehill came back to shoot two wides but Killeshandra took a clear lead in the 15th minute when a centre from Brian O’Dowd was punched to the net by G.  Brady.  Killeshandra continued to dominate the exchanges and Mark Goldrick had two more points in the 20th and 23rd minutes to leave the score 1 – 3 to 0 – 0.  At this stage, Jim Smith came on for Paul Lennon, at mid field, for Cootehill and two minutes from half time, they opened their account when Jim Bradley pointed a free.  The interval score was Killeshandra 1 – 3, Cootehill 0 -1. 

Charlie Gallagher came into the Cootehill team at the start of the second half and straight away his presence sparked a revival.  He shot a point after five minutes and added three more in the 13th, 15th, and 23rd minutes to reduce the arrears to just one point.  The small attendance were roaring Cootehill to an expected victory but Killeshandra hit back when Tommy Galligan shot a point.  Cootehill came again and cut the deficit to one when Eamon McCabe shot over and Charlie Gallagher got the levelling point in the 27th minute.

Cootehill Celtic: Brian Sherlock; Hugh Sherlock, Dermot Coyle, Paddy Cochrane; Dermot Fitzpatrick, Sean O’Donnell, Tony McCabe; Paul Lennon, Kevin Argue; Eamon McCabe, Stephen McDonagh, J. Bradley;  Brendan McCabe, Loughin Farrell, Gene O’Donnell.
Subs: Jim Smith for P. Lennon; Charlie Gallagher for G. O’Donnell.

Killeshandra: R. Toal; Billy Murphy, B. Toal, E. Fitzpatrick; J. Sweeney, P. Reynolds, C. Rourke; J. Brady, B. O’Dowd; P. Brady, H. Reynolds, M. Goldrick; M. Reilly, T. Galligan, C. Toal.

Referee: Fintan Tierney

Report taken with kind permission from The Anglo Celt