Hyland refuses to be drawn on future

Derry 1-17
Cavan 0-18

Cavan manager Terry Hyland refused to be drawn on his future after his side were ambushed by a Derry outfit who timed their run to perfection and beat the hosts by a neck on the line to make it three wins from three in the back door.

“I always get amused when I get asked that question. I don't know, really, why the media comes out with this bullshit,” replied Hyland when asked whether he would remain on as Breffni boss after what was a most disappointing loss for the Blues.

Derry out-scored 14-man Cavan by 0-14 to 0-7 in the second half to defiantly leave Kingspan Breffni Park with a third successive qualifier win.

Damien Barton’s men trailed for an hour but timed their run from off the pace to perfection as they struck with devastating intent on the home stretch.

Cavan lost defender Feargal Flanagan to a red card towards the end of the first half and that would prove extremely costly as the home side struggled to keep tabs on the Oak Leafers at the business end. Derry kicked a succession of top-class points and carved Cavan open for a couple of goal chances, with Blues goalkeeper Ray Galligan producing a number of top-class saves.

Cavan dominated the first 25 minutes and should have been further ahead than they were, but for some all-too-familiar jitters on the ball.

Early on, they routed the Derry kick-out. After a slow-burner of a start, with James Kielt and Cian Macky trading scores, the hosts caught light with super scores from Dara McVeety and captain Gearoid McKiernan (free).

Derry were pinned back but were opting to hit full-forward Emmet McGuckin early and often. From the first such salvo, the ball ended up rebounding off the post; from the next, McGuckin rose above Rory Dunne and punched home.

And then Cavan got back to work. Martin Reilly and Michael Argue added points and Derry found themselves relaying on long-range pot-shots, Kielt and Mark Lynch supplying two fantastic efforts.

Cavan were, for the most part, in control though and on the 18-minute mark, they led by 0-8 to 1-2 following frees from Johnston and McKiernan and two trademark jink-and-curl efforts from the outstanding Dara McVeety.

And when Derry lost Kielt to a black card, all seemed to be going to plan for Terry Hyland’s troops. But the visitors tweaked things slightly, ‘keeper Thomas Mallon beginning to find his men on short kick-outs, they suddenly began to put some incisive moves together. And, all the while, they had the option of lumping it to ball-winner McGuckin, an avenue Cavan, in the absence of the injured David Givney, lacked.

Two McKiernan efforts, one a beauty while falling, sandwiched a fisted point from Chris Bradley as Cavan went in at half-time, having played with the wind, holding a four-point lead, 0-11 to 1-4.

Within a couple of minutes of the restart, that advantage had been halved following scores from Lynch and Conor McAtamney. Cavan were struggling to create chances and relied on three excellent frees from Galligan to hold off Derry, who were growing into the contest by the minute.

Two from talisman Lynch (one free) made it a three-point game with 20 minutes to go but two disappointing errors from a Cavan point of view – a 21-yard free which trailled wide and a poor pass after a kick-out had been intercepted – let the underdogs off the hook.

And they showed no fear in the final quarter as they kicked clear with some stunning football. Lynch kept the scoreboard ticking with a free before sub Niall Toner landed three quality points and Niall O’Loughlin curled over a 45 to level it with five minutes to go.

That man Lynch stepped up to kick the lead score at 1-13 to 0-15 and although the excellent McVeety held his nerve to level it again, the momentum was with Derry and they landed a massive score from Lynch, another from McGuckin and one from sub Enda Lynn put the seal on an impressive victory.

Derry have now lost just four times to Cavan in their last 19 championship meetings and, on the strength of their second half here, they will be a formidable proposition for whoever they meet in the next round.

 

Scorers for Derry: M Lynch (0-7, 4f), E McGuckin (1-1), N Toner (0-3), D Heavron (0-1), C McAtamney (0-1), N Holly (0-1), N Loughlin (0-1, 45), J Kielt (0-1), E Lynn (0-1)

 

Scorers for Cavan: G McKiernan (0-4, 3f), R Galligan (0-3f), D McVeety (0-3), M Reilly (0-2), M Argue (0-1), J Brady (1f), S Johnston (1f), G Smith (1f), C Moynagh (0-1)

 

Cavan: R Galligan, K Brady, R Dunne, P Faulkner, F Flanagan, C Moynagh, M Reilly, T Corr, M Argue, D McVeety, G McKiernan, K Clarke, C Mackey, J Brady, S Johnston

Subs: N Murray for Argue (HT), C Brady for Faulkner (45 mins), J McLoughlin for K Brady (53 mins), T Hayes for Johnston (57 mins), G Smith for Corr (66 mins), L Buchanan for Mackey (70 mins)

 

Derry: T Mallon, G McKinless, C McKaigue, K McKaigue, C McFaul, B Rogers, C Mullan, C McAtamney, N Holly, D Heavron, C Bradley (0-1), E Brown, J Kielt, E McGuckin, M Lynch

Subs: E Lynn for Kielt (25 mins, BC), N Loughlin for Brown (31 mins), N Toner for C Bradley (48 mins), E Bradley for McAtamney (52 mins), L McGoldrick for Rogers (60 mins), N Forester for McFaul (70 mins)

 

Ref: E Kinsella (Laois)