Goal scorer Alan Morris (left) and Connor Faulkner celebrate after Caherlistrane's second major against Davitts on Sunday. Photo: Ray Ryan

Caherlistrane display clinical edge against Davitts

Galway Intermediate champions advance to Connacht semi-final

Mark Walsh

Published: Thu 12 Nov 2026, 10:03 AM

Caherlistrane 2-18

Davitts 1-11

CAHERLISTRANE were ruthlessly effective in how they started and finished Sunday’s Connacht Intermediate Club Football Championship quarter-final tie at MacHale Park.

Barry McCabe’s side had a significant 2-8 to 0-2 lead by minute 20. While they scored only four points in the intervening 33 minutes, they never let Davitts come any closer than four points. They ended the contest with the final five scores and a deserved 11-point win.

Mayo champions Davitts were the slight favourites going into this match-up of Galway-Mayo border clubs, but Caherlistrane’s efficiency in front of goal, sturdy defence, direct runners and greater physical presence in the middle third were all factors in a good performance.

Johnny McGrath of Caherlistrane wins his duel with Shane Treacy of Davitts. Photo: Ray Ryan

Richard McGrath signalled Caherlistrane’s intent 11 seconds into the game after Stephen Lawless had won the throw-in. Lawless would win both throw-ins and primary possession at midfield alongside his partner Shane Nally. Caherlistrane claimed possession from 13 of Davitts’ 23 kickouts, but only seven of their own 15 restarts.

Shane Greaney (three, two frees), Timmy Madden, the excellent Johnny McGrath, Connor Faulkner and Alan Morris added points to Richard McGrath’s opener across the first 20 minutes. They targeted the left-hand side of the Davitts defence, scored 2-8 and didn’t register a wide in the half until minute 27. Caherlistrane’s scoring return was 19 from 29 efforts at goal.

The goals were a tonic for the North Galway side. Oisín O’Brien found Ciaran Donnellan on the back door cut for the first in minute 13 from that left channel of the Davitts backline. Donnellan seemed to pull his hamstring in the act of scoring and was replaced.

Ciaran Donnellan finishes Caherlistrane's opening goal. Photo: Ray Ryan Photo by RAY RYAN

The second came from joint-captain Morris. Cian Molloy won a Davitts restart following a Morris point, and Morris finished past Ronan McNamara, a distinguished midfielder for Davitts for many years who was deputising for the absent Dylan O’Brien.

Davitts midfielder Fenton Kelly was part of the victorious All-Ireland winning Mayo panel. Niall Treacy and Jack Melvin were their dangermen up top having combined for 0-17 of their side’s 0-23 county final winning total.

Treacy hit the only replies for the Ballindine-Irishtown club during that dominant opening from Caherlistrane. Davitts were to enjoy a purple patch of their own coming up to the interval, though, using their pace to make inroads.

Caherlistrane joint captain Stephen Lawless on the attack against Colm Boyle of Davitts. Photo: Ray Ryan

A Treacy free was followed by a two-point effort off the deck from Melvin. Another Treacy free reduced the gap to eight before referee Barry Judge, of the Castleconnor club in Sligo, awarded a penalty in minute 30.

Lawless was perhaps fortunate to have avoided a black card and conceding a penalty when he fouled Fenton Kelly in minute 17 inside the 20-metre line. However, when Shane Bohan took down Niall Treacy late in the half, a black card and penalty were the result. Melvin finished the spot kick to Kieran McDonagh’s left and another Treacy free left the half-time scoreline at a much more manageable 2-8 to 1-7 from a Davitts’ perspective.

Caherlistrane should have been further in front, but they had conceded just one point from play in the half and had a close watch on Treacy and Melvin. They steadied matters in the second half despite Bohan’s black card.

Johnny McGrath went into the full-back line, and with the floodlights turned on in MacHale Park and All-Star defender Colm Boyle into the game for Davitts, points arrived from Faulkner, Greaney (free) and Madden after a mazy run reminiscent of his Galway final man of the match display.

A two-pointer from Treacy was followed by a good score from Cathal Corless and Davitts trailed by four again in minute 47. Treacy had dropped a close-range free short in between those scores and Corless’ point was the last time his team would get on the scoreboard.

Like their county final win over An Spidéal, Caherlistrane finished with a flourish, scoring six without reply. Kieran McDonagh started the sequence with a two-point free. Lawless got a point his efforts warranted, while Greaney closed the match out with three frees.

It’s now 14 wins on the spin for Caherlistrane since April between league and championship as they move on to a Connacht semi-final against Éire Óg from Roscommon in Dr Hyde Park.

CAHERLISTRANE: K. McDonagh (0-2, 0-2 free); S. Kyne, S. Bohan, E. Cunningham; J. McGrath (0-1), R. McGrath (0-1), C. Molloy; S. Lawless (joint-captain, 0-1), K. Nally; A. McGreal, Shane Greaney (0-7, 0-6 frees), T. Madden (0-2); A. Morris (joint-captain, 1-1), C. Donnellan (1-0), O. O’Brien. Subs: C. Faulkner (0-2), for Donnellan inj., 14 mins; K. O’Donoghue (0-1), for McGreal, 38 mins; S. O’Brien, for Nally, 52 mins; C. Hanley, for Molloy, 60+1 mins; Steven Greaney, for O’Brien, 60+1 mins.

DAVITTS: R. McNamara; B. Birmingham, C. Higgins, C. Phillips; T. Ronayne, C. Corless (0-1), T. Waldron; C. Naughton, F. Kelly; J. Ronayne (0-1), J. Melvin (1-2, 1-0 penalty, one 0-2 free), S. Treacy; N. Treacy (captain, 0-7, 0-4 frees, one 0-2 score), R. Kelly, C. Treacy. Subs: C. Boyle, for Waldron, 34 mins; L. Kearns, for R. Kelly, 42 mins; C. McDermott, for B. Birmingham, 48 mins; M. Birmingham, for J. Ronayne, 51 mins.

REFEREE: Barry Judge (Sligo).

HERALD SPORT MAN OF THE MATCH:

Stephen Lawless (Caherlistrane).

Caherlistrane's Alan Morris takes on Cathal Corless of Davitts. Photo: Ray Ryan

GAME AT A GLANCE

KEY MOMENT

Kieran McDonagh’s two-point free in minute 53 gave Caherlistrane the renewed impetus to close out the win, but it was their second goal that provided them with a commanding grip on proceedings. Alan Morris’ finish low to the left of Davitts goalkeeper Ronan McNamara was clinical. It provided Caherlistrane with a 2-8 to 0-2 advantage with just 20 minutes played and a too steep of a hill for Davitts to climb.

TALKING POINT

Caherlistrane’s defence has been solid throughout their 14-game winning run during the league and championship. Their manager Barry McCabe referenced their average concession rate of 12 points a game in the aftermath of Sunday’s win. An Spidéal managed 0-12 in the county final, while Davitts got 1-11 in MacHale Park, just five points coming from play.

STAR TURN

Caherlistrane joint-captain Stephen Lawless just pips Johnny McGrath for the man of the match nod. Lawless and Kevin Nally had fine games at midfield and both made a number of clean catches from restarts. Johnny McGrath and younger brother Richard got on the scoresheet and were driving forces for their side from the half-back line, while the side's other joint-captain Alan Morris linked the play throughout in a strong showing. Davitts’ best player was their captain and number 14 Niall Treacy.

SIDELINE WATCH

It was a case of ‘as you were’ in terms of the starting 15 for Caherlistrane a fortnight on from their county final win. Connor Faulkner and Kian O’Donoghue made scoring contributions from the bench on Sunday, with Faulkner entering the contest in the opening quarter after Ciaran Donnellan’s injury.

Davitts manager Mark Concannon made one change from the team that defeated Ballinrobe in the Mayo decider. Team selector Ronan McNamara replaced regular ‘keeper Dylan O’Brien between the sticks.

WHAT’S NEXT

Roscommon champions Éire Óg – comprised of the parishes of Lisacul, Loughglynn and Gorthaganny – are Caherlistrane’s opponents in the Connacht semi-final fixed for Dr. Hyde Park on Sunday. November 22.