Minors caught on the line by late Donegal goal

Ulster Minor Football League round 1

Donegal 1-13

Cavan 1-10

A last-gasp goal from Joe Doherty secured a stunning comeback victory for Donegal in O’Donnell Park on Saturday afternoon, as they edged past Cavan 1-13 to 1-10 in a thrilling Ulster Minor League opener. It was disappointing for Cavan to come away empty-handed after a performance full of promise in which Ed O’Hanlon’s lads led for most of the game but a late flurry from Donegal, who kicked 16 wides, saw them grab both points.

Despite their 16 wides and an uninspiring first-half performance, Donegal refused to surrender, producing an exceptional second-half display that ultimately saw them snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Played under the new rules, the game wasn’t as high-scoring as some senior inter-county matches we have seen of late, with the first quarter cagey. It was Donegal’s Thomas Lenehan who eventually broke the deadlock with a fine long-range point, but Cavan responded swiftly. Cathal Smith and Nathan Quigley converted frees before a moment of attacking brilliance saw Senan Smith set up Cathal Smith for a goal, finishing into an empty net after a flowing move initiated by Sam Maguire.

Cavan dictated much of the first half, moving the ball swiftly and finding gaps in the Donegal defence, but the visitors’ shooting lacked the accuracy to capitalize fully. Quigley’s third point stretched the lead to five, with Matthew Enright pulling one back for Donegal before Quigley rounded off the half by registering again, leaving the visitors 1-6 to 0-4 ahead at the break.

Cavan picked up where they left off after half-time, with Quigley and Smith adding further points to extend the lead to seven. Donegal, however, were far from finished. Shane Sweeney slotted over a free, followed by points from Lenehan and Tomás Carr, sparking a surge of momentum for the home side.

As Kalvin McLoughlin powered through three Cavan defenders before opting for a composed point rather than a goal, it became clear that Donegal were beginning to ask serious questions of their opponents. However, their wides tally continued to rise, reaching nine by the 40th minute, threatening to derail their comeback.

Smith’s free steadied Cavan, but Sweeney’s second point kept Donegal within touching distance, setting up a tense final 10 minutes with the scoreboard reading 1-9 to 0-9.

A brilliant darting run and finish by Gowna’s Jake Brady helped Cavan maintain their lead, but Donegal were relentless. Lenehan, Cathal McGee, and Conor Farrell all found the target, reducing the deficit to a single point and setting up a dramatic finish.

Just when it seemed Cavan might hang on, Donegal were gifted one final opportunity. After Cathal Doherty initiated the attack, Jamie Gavigan’s effort for a point dropped short, falling into the waiting hands of Joe Doherty, who coolly slotted the ball into the net to turn the game on its head.

Farrell added the final point to seal a remarkable three-point victory for Donegal, capping off a thrilling contest that saw the home side overturn a seven-point deficit to claim a win in their first outing of the season.

For Cavan, under new management, there were lots of positives to take. Next up for Cavan is a home game against Fermanagh on Saturday, March 22 at 2pm at Kingspan Breffni.

Scorers:

Donegal: Thomas Lenehan 0-4; Joe Doherty 1-0; Shane Sweeney (2f), Tomás Carr, and Conor Farrell 0-2 each; Kalvin McLoughlin, Cathal McGee, and Peter McLoughlin 0-1 each.

Cavan: Cathal Smith 1-3 (1f); Nathan Quigley 0-5 (3fs); Jake Brady 0-2

Donegal: Ronan O’Donnell; Christopher O’Donnell, Jamie Gavigan, Daithi Molloy; Jack Gallagher, Evan Daly, Peter McLoughlin; Kalvin McLoughlin, Cathal McGee; Conor Farrell, Tomás Carr, Callum McGilloway; Shane Sweeney, Matthew Enright, Thomas Lenehan.

Subs: Mark Wilkinson for Molloy (5); Cathal Doherty for McLoughlin and Joe Doherty for Gallagher (HT); Danny McCready for McGilloway (40); Odhran Ryan for Enright (55).

Cavan: Cian McConnell (Butlersbridge); Finian Smith (Denn), Lee Glennon (Munterconnaught), Andrew Smart (Ramor United); Michael Smith (Crosserlough), Simon Kolimor (Cavan Gaels), Harry McMullen (Cootehill Celtic); Sam Maguire (Templeport), Faolán Graham (Butlersbridge); Donagh Lynch (Cuchulainns), Jake Brady (Gowna), Dylan Brouder (Castlerahan); Nathan Quigley (Denn), Senan Smith (Denn), Cathal Smith (Lavey)

Subs: Gary McCabe (Killygarry) for Brouder (40); Fintan Devin (Munterconnaught) for Lynch (50); Ciaran Clerkin (Drumgoon) for Smith (55); Rory Dolan (Templeport) for Smith (60).

Ref: Christopher Brady (Monaghan)