Cavan out of McKenna Cup after UU defeat

UU 0-19
Cavan 0-15

Paul Fitzpatrick
at Kingspan Breffni Park

Cavan have failed to reach the last four of the Dr McKenna Cup for the first time since 2013 after a poor performance saw them beaten tonight against UU.

Donegal's Patrick McBrearty and Tyrone's Mark Bradley came off the bench at half-time to fire a combined tally of 0-8 as University of Ulster confined the Breffni men to their first defeat on Mattie McGleenan's watch.

It took the students 23 minutes to open their account, by which stage Cavan had posted 0-5 – with newcomers Niall McKiernan and Shane O'Rourke to the fore - but three points in as many minutes dragged the visitors back into the game and they trailed by 0-8 to 0-7.

And the introduction of the deadly duo to their full-forward line made the difference as they surged in front in the third quarter and ran out deserving winners.

Bradley scored with 20 seconds of the restart and when they managed to put some daylight between the teams, the college side were always able to keep Cavan at arm's length, despite some superb Cavan scores from Enda O'Reilly (two), Dara McVeety and Gerry Smith.

But the Blues were out of ideas and UU finished stronger, McBrearty sending over some good points and a 45, with Niall Madine repeating the latter trick with the last kick of the game.

Cavan: J Farrelly, J McLoughlin, R Dunne, S Murray, J McCutcheon, C Moynagh, C Brady, B Sankey, S O'Rourke (0-2), N McKiernan (0-2), T Mooney, D McVeety (0-1), P O'Connor (0-4, 2f), C Madden (0-1), P McCabe
Subs: E O'Reilly (0-2) for McCabe (28 mins), M Reilly for O'Rourke (33 mins), K Clarke (0-1) for Sankey (h/t), G Smith (0-1) for Brady (h/t), P Faulkner for Murray (41 mins), S Johnston (0-1f) for McKiernan (50 mins)

 

UU: T McConville, R Kelly, R Johnston, C McCann, C Boylan, J Rafferty, B Grant, D McKeown, T O'Brien, J Kearney, D Gallagher (0-3f), R McGlone (0-3), M Walsh (0-1), J Fitzgerald (0-1), N Madine (0-2, 45)
Subs: R McHugh for McCann (24 mins), M Bradley (0-3) for Fitzgerald (h/t), P McBrearty (0-5, 1f, 45) for Rafferty (h/t), R McNamee (h/t) for Grant, R McAnespie (0-1) for McKeown (h/t), Grant for McGlone

 

Ref: N McKenna (Monaghan)