U20 campaign over after heavy defeat to Donegal

Ulster U20 Championship semi-final

Donegal 4-19

Cavan 2-7

Paul Fitzpatrick at Ballybofey

Cavan U20s exited the Ulster Championship at the semi-final stage after a poor showing against an exceptional Donegal side.

Cavan were out-gunned all over the pitch on an evening where everything went wrong for the Breffni lads.

While Cavan had good form in the book, drawing with Monaghan, beating Armagh and Down and losing to competition favourites Derry, the home side came into this game as red hot favourites, having enjoyed an eye-catching win over Tyrone which helped them top their group.

Donegal’s reward for that feat was to skip the quarter-finals and earn home advantage for the semi-final. It was always going to be difficult for the away side but the one-sided nature of this match and the fact that the majority of the Donegal side are underage again next year will be extremely disappointing for the Cavan camp.

At half-time, this game was over as a contest as Donegal led by 13 points, 3-7 to 1-2.

While Cavan started quite well and led 1-1 to 0-2, Donegal dominated the visitors’ kick-out and punished some slack defending with three goals – and they could have had a fourth, Seanan Carr hitting the face of the crossbar with a flicked effort.

The tone was set early on; Cavan held possession for the first two minutes but were eventually turned over when they tried to penetrate the Donegal defensive wall and were punished when Donegal broke at lightning pace and Carr fisted over.

Conor McGinty added the next for Donegal but Cavan got off the mark with a lovely score from Dylan Edwards and, in the 11th minute, hit the front for the first and only time in the tie when Matthew Smith’s shot hit the upright and fell to Niall Magee, who blasted into the empty net.

But Donegal weren’t rattled; a well-taken individual point from Cian McMenamin got them going again and they made it 1-3 to 1-1 when Kevin Muldoon played in Conor McCahill, who smashed to the roof of the net.

After two Donegal wides, Cavan were dealt another blow when Cian Shekleton was punished for a foul – Carr’s weak penalty was saved by Lee Phillingham but, after Cavan cleared their lines, it was ordered to be re-taken, with Carr making no mistake second time round.

Cavan had a right to be aggrieved, even moreso by the fact that they were awarded just two frees in the first half, the first of those coming in the 26th minute. However, the Blues didn’t respond well to the setback in any case and while Cavan were physically a match for Donegal, they couldn’t cope with the home side’s pace and struggled to win any possession at midfield, so while it had an unsettling effect, it didn’t affect the final result.

Points from Carr and captain Sean Martin (two-pointer) extended the gap and a left-footed McCahill point, under no real pressure from the Cavan defence, made it 2-7 to 1-1 with six minutes remaining in the half.

Magee stopped the bleeding momentarily when he darted through a gap and pointed with the left but Donegal’s response was emphatic as they again got in easily and McCahill sent a rocket to the roof of the net.

A two-pointer from McMenamin made it 3-9 to 1-2 at the interval as Cavan went in for the break facing a mountainous task.

That was made even harder when Carr and Callaghan (free) added quickfire scores – and a pair of Carr frees and a point from sub Dylan Mulholland made it 3-14 to 1-2.

So comfortable were Donegal that they were able to make a rare quadruple substitution with 20 minutes to go, introducing senior star Finbar Roarty among the changes.

Matthew Smith fisted a point and kicked another but Cavan were having a disastrous night all over the field, unable to break Donegal down, win breaks or retain possession.

Donegal kicked a succession of wides, finishing with eight in total.

Darragh Noonan knocked over a point for Cavan, who were awarded just six frees over the hour, but Donegal hammered home their fourth goal in the dying minutes through Dylan Mulholland.

Cavan hit the net again in the 60th minute when, after good work from Smith and Magee, sub Conor Sharpe bundled home and Edwards added a spectacular two-pointer but, by that stage, it was all cosmetic.

Cavan: Lee Phillingham (Killinkere), Kyle McCabe (Knockbride), Jensen Tynan (Ramor United), Aaron Shekleton (Kingscourt Stars), Ben Tully (Cavan Gaels), Evan Crowe (Ballyhaise), James Tully (Laragh United), Matthew Costello (Crosserlough), Davin Graham (Butlersbridge), Dylan Edwards (Templeport, 0-3, 2pt), Matthew Smith (Ramor United, 0-2), Niall Magee (Cuchulainns, 1-1), Cian Keaney (Killygarry), Lorcan Reilly (Knockbride), Cormac Galligan (Mullahoran)

Subs: Darragh Noonan (Killygarry, 0-1) for C Galligan, Oliver McCrystal (Ramor United) for D Graham (both ht), Luke Allison (Butlersbridge) for K McCabe (41), Harry Boylan (Crosserlough) for C Keaney (43), Conor Sharpe (Mullahoran, 1-0) for L Reilly (52)

Donegal: Padraig McBride, Aaron Neely, Niall Prendiville, Cathal Rua Ó Gallchoir, Max Campbell, Callum McCrea, Conor McGinty (0-1), Sean Martin (0-2, 2pt), Kevin Muldoon (0-2, 45), Cian McMenamin (0-3, 2pt), David Monaghan, Mark McDevitt, Conor McCahill (2-1), Shane Callaghan (0-1f), Seanan Carr (1-7, 1-0 pen, 4f)

Subs: Finbar Roarty (0-1) for M Campbell, Turlough Carr (0-1) for D Monaghan, Daithi Gildea for S Callaghan, Dylan Mulholland (1-1) for M McDevitt (all 40), Fionn Coll for C McCahill (50)

Ref: Mark Loughran (Tyrone)