Football

Donegal see off dogged Cavan to deservedly retain their Ulster title

Donegal's Jason McKee and Cavan's Conor Rehill and Padraig Faulkner in action during yesterday's Ulster final at Clones. Picture Philip Walsh.
Donegal's Jason McKee and Cavan's Conor Rehill and Padraig Faulkner in action during yesterday's Ulster final at Clones. Picture Philip Walsh. Donegal's Jason McKee and Cavan's Conor Rehill and Padraig Faulkner in action during yesterday's Ulster final at Clones. Picture Philip Walsh.

IN the 131 years since this fixture was first played out there have never been more scores in an Ulster final.

The bottom line is that Donegal got more of them than Cavan and deservedly retained their title yesterday but the Tir Chonaill men were more superior than the scoreline suggests and their pace, power, creativity and organisation all augur well for their prospects this season.

In all, 43 flags were raised (the aggregate of 49 points almost surpassed the 4-15 to 4-11 (50) final between winners Down and Derry back in 1971) but despite a late rally Cavan were never able to get close enough to the Tir Chonaill men to turn an entertaining game into a genuine nail-biter.

Declan Bonner’s side punched holes through the centre of the Cavan defence repeatedly throughout the first half and lead by eight points at the break and although the Breffnimen recovered from their nervy start in the second half to bag goals through subs Conor Madden and Stephen Murray, their rally came too late to really threaten a turnaround win.

Cavan’s doggedness will keep their spirits up as they prepare for the Qualifiers while Donegal head for the Super8s full of scores and full of confidence after a win that was more convincing than the scoreboard suggested.

They settled quickly and Paddy McBrearty’s free and a forward raid from Eoghan Ban Gallagher had them two points up and, although Conor Brady opened Cavan’s account with a fisted point, Jamie Brennan’s pace and power opened the door for a Ryan McHugh point which was quickly followed by another from sweeper Hugh McFadden.

Gaps in the Cavan rearguard were exploited by the pace and power of Donegal runners who burst onto the ball and McHugh and Michael Murphy teed up Jason McGee who left it 0-5 to 0-2 after 10 minutes.

Gearoid McKiernan pulled one back and Conor Moynagh had the air horns on the Hill blaring when he slotted over another but Donegal sliced through the Breffnimen with ease.

Shaun Patton’s booming kick-out was gathered on the Cavan 45-yard line by Murphy who got his head up to spot Brennan racing towards him. Brennan gathered the ball, beat marker Conor Rehill and smashed in a shot that Raymond Galligan did well to save.

Brennan slotted the rebound over the bar and there were more alarm bells in the Cavan defence as McBrearty beat Padraig Faulkner and Moynagh but fisted wide and then McFadden sent Paddy McGrath through but his shot was deflected wide with the goal at his mercy.

Murphy added another point to leave it 0-8 to 0-3 but Cavan should have grabbed an unexpected lifeline back into the game when Gerard Smith’s hopeful punt forward was gathered by Rehill who timed his run well but stabbed his shot wide.

That was as close as Cavan came to troubling the Donegal goal in the first half. Waves off Breffni blue broke on the Donegal 45-yard line and they lacked the pace to break the lines and could not bypass McFadden, the commanding Donegal sweeper.

At the other end, the Donegal forwards confounded the Cavan defenders with criss-crossing diagonal runs that created space for Jason McGee, Thompson, Brennan (two) and Niall O’Donnell to tag on points before the end of the half. Replies from Oisin Pierson and a McKiernan free were all Cavan could manage in reply and the half ended with Donegal 0-13 to 0-5 in front and in complete control.

There was speculation at the break that Mickey Graham might throw on Michael Argue and switch from a running game that was paying few dividends to a route-one approach. Instead he threw on Cian Mackey, their saviour against Armagh in the semi-final, and Conor Madden. Mackey played his part as the Breffnimen stuck to their task and switched to a direct approach that got Dara McVeety into the game.

Murphy and McKiernan had swapped points and Stephen McMenamin and Brennan had set up McBrearty before McVeety dummied McGrath and swept over his first score.

Then McBrearty turned provider for Michael Langan but there was still a spark in Cavan and McKiernan landed a free and then a point from play to raise the blue and white flags on the packed Hill. That was the first time Cavan had managed two points in-a-row and Donegal responded with a brace from McBrearty who continued to impress with his movement, passing and shooting.

McKiernan, carrying the fight from midfield, landed another score and Mackey, who hadn’t been able to get into the game, converted a free and was then involved in a sweeping move the length of the field that included Clarke and the disappointing Martin Reilly before McVeety’s stylish finish got the Cavan fans back on their feet.

It was 0-12 to 0-18 at that stage but Donegal surged ahead again.

Murphy, lingering on his own ‘45’, stroked a pass to Langan and Brennan enjoyed a little luck as the ball broke his way.

There was no luck about his finish though and there were shades of Down great James McCartan as he rode desperate Cavan tackles and slid the ball past Galligan with his right foot.

Caoimhin O’Reilly and McBrearty swapped scores before McKieran shrugged off a tackle and played in Mackey who drove at the heart of the Donegal defence before scooping a handpass to the far post. Madden arrived and thumped the ball past Patton and there were six in it again.

Again Donegal responded impressively. The languid Jason McGee broke through for his second score and youngster Oisin Gallen, in his first season of senior football, came on to cancel out another point from the battling McVeety who then had a goal-bound shot blocked by Paddy McGrath.

But there was another goal in Cavan. Madden and Jack Brady and Gallagher had traded scores and the game was deep in injury-time when Stephen Murray chased Moynagh’s long ball and flicked it past Patton.

The ball bobbled into the net off the post leaving only four points in it. Murphy popped over a free to leave five points between them at the finish.

Donegal have work to do on but with the scalps of Fermanagh, Tyrone and Cavan under their belts they go forward with real confidence, starting with the first round of the Super8s at Ballybofey in three weeks’ time.

Cavan: R Galligan; J McLoughlin, C Moynagh (0-1); M Reilly, K Clarke, C Rehill; C Brady (0-1), G McKiernan (0-6, 0-3 frees); O Kiernan, D McVeety (0-3), N Murray; Ciaran Brady, O Pierson (0-1), G Smith

Subs: S Murray (1-0) for N Murray (29), C Mackey (0-1 free) for Kiernan (HT), C Madden (1-1) for Smith (HT), T Galligan for Conor Brady (51), C O’Reilly (0-1) for Pierson (53), J Brady (0-1) for Rehill (71)

Yellow card: Conor Brady (18)

Donegal: S Patton; P McGrath, N McGee, S McMenamin; R McHugh (0-1), O McFadden Ferry, E Ban Gallagher (0-2); H McFadden (0-1), J McGee (0-2); C Thompson (0-2), N O’Donnell (0-1), J Brennan (1-4); P McBrearty (0-4, 0-1 free), M Murphy (0-5, 0-4 frees), M Langan (0-1)

Subs: D O’Baoill for O’Donnell (43), F McGlynn for N McGee (53), P Brennan for McFadden Ferry (61), O Gallen (0-1) for Thompson (63), L McLoone for Langan (71), C Ward for McMenamin (74)

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)

Attendance: 28,780

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