Kilcavan suffer heartbreaking Leinster Club exit after Dunlavin comeback

Kilcavan have been knocked out in the first round of the 2026 AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship after a late surge from 14-man Dunlavin saw them over the line on Saturday in Laois Hire O’Moore Park.

Liam Lonergan’s side had led 1-12 to 0-10 with 15 minutes to play and led by a goal with seven minutes to go when Tom Moran was sent off for the Wicklow champions, but Dunlavin scored 2-1 in the last few minutes to book their place in the quarter-finals in two weeks.

Dunlavin kicked the first two scores through Tom Doyle and James O’Reilly before Kilcavan got off the mark with a point from Rory Lalor. Kilcavan’s only goal arrived with three minutes on the clock as a shot from Cian Ryle dropped over the head of Tom Davis and into the back of the net. Ryle followed up with his goal with a free shortly after.

Killian Doyle was then called into action as he made a great save to deny Pat Kehoe after he had been played in by Eoin Murtagh. Kilcavan went 1-3 to 0-2 ahead when Ryle kicked a 45 to take his tally to 1-2 with just eight minutes played. Dunlavin cut the deficit to three points with a free from Sean Doyle, but Kilcavan replied with two scores down the other end, both from the boot of Ryle.

Dunlavin got back to within two points with half-time approaching as they scored three points in a row. Sean Doyle pointed twice with a Tom Doyle white flag in the middle of it. Doyle made another great intervention to stop Tom Doyle from finding the back of the net. A great score from Niall Lalor put Kilcavan three points up at half-time.

Two frees went over the bar for Dunlavin to start the half as Cian O’Sullivan and Jack Reid raised a white flag each. Kilcavan went back in front by that three-point margin when Rory Lalor curled over a two-pointer off his right foot. Dunlavin made it a one-point game with 21 minutes to play when Pat Kehoe scored two points in a row.

However, Kilcavan went and scored four points on the trot to lead by five points with a quarter of an hour to play. Ryle kicked a free from inside and outside the arc before an inspirational score from centre-back Evan Hunt, which saw him take a shoulder off Eoin Murtagh and left Murtagh on his back; Hunt then split the posts to a loud cheer from the Kilcavan crowd.

Gary Allen and Eoin Miley (free) put a goal between the sides once again. Dunlavin’s task was then made a lot harder with seven minutes to play when Tom Moran was shown a straight red card for striking Niall Lalor. The latter then kicked a score to put Kilcavan into a great position coming down the stretch.

Unfortunately for Kilcavan, the next time that they registered another score they were three points down. Dunlavin’s first goal came after Doyle had once again made a great save to deny Allen, but Sean Doyle was quickest to react to palm the rebound home. Evan Miley, with his second point, first from play, levelled the side with 59 minutes on the clock.

Three minutes of added time were announced with the game in the melting pot. A minute into injury time, a ball across the square from Miley was volleyed into the net by Doyle to send the large Dunlavin crowd into raptures. Kilcavan did manage a late score from a Ryle free, but they needed a goal, which they never got.

FINAL SCORE

Dunlavin 2-13

Kilcavan 1-14

SCORERS- Dunlavin: Sean Doyle 2-3 (0-1 free), Eoin Miley (0-1 free), Pat Kehoe and Tom Doyle 0-2 each, James O’Reilly, Gary Allen and Jack Reid (free) 0-1 each. Kilcavan: Cian Ryle 1-8 (one two-point free, 0-3 frees, 0-2 45’s), Rory Lalor 0-3 (one two-pointer), Niall Lalor 0-2, Evan Hunt 0-1.

KILCAVAN: Killian Doyle; Tristan Hunt, Michael Bermingham, Michael Hyland; Robert Hunt, Evan Hunt, Niall Lalor; Aaron Tarpey, Darragh Hughes; Ian Dunne, Cian Ryle, Ronan Gorry; Rory Lalor, Sean Lalor, Paul Bolton. Subs: Lorcan White for Bolton (20 mins), Barry Conroy for T Hunt (42 mins), Darragh McEvoy for S Lalor (56 mins).

DUNLAVIN: Tom Davis; Harry Coleman, Tom Moran, MJ Moran; James O’Reilly, Eoin Murtagh, Cian Deering; Gary Allen, Mark Murtagh; Pat Kehoe, Eoin Miley, Tom Doyle; Sean Doyle, Jack Reid, Cian O’Sullivan. Subs: Paul Murtagh for Reid (45 mins), Darragh Corrigan for M Murtagh (49 mins).

Referee: Lee Moran (Kildare)