Cavan impress as Breffni Park witnesses siege of Derry

Damien Donohoe
In Kingspan Breffni Park

Cavan progress to the semi-finals of the inaugural Ulster under 17 football championship with a 14 point hammering of a Derry side that looked like they’d rather have stayed on the Bogside.

Kingspan Breffni Park was a picture of dreams as the sun beamed down in Cavan town last Saturday morning and John Brady and his management team had the Cavan lads ready to live the dream as they played like it was the biggest day of their young lives.
Cavan started like the hammers of hell as Shane Hanley opened the scoring from the throw-in with thanks to great work from Kenth Fadoju and Callum Lynch. Corner forward Seanie Keogan increased the lead to two with a fine left footed effort a minute later. The perfect start was completed when Seanie Keogan and Kenth Fadoju combined to set up Patrick Lynch to calmly slot the ball low to the back of the net to leave Cavan leading by five with three minutes played.
The Cavan full back line were out in front for any ball that Derry tried to get into the scoring zone which helped Cavan build on their good start. After converting a free, Seanie Keogan got on the ball under the stand and set off on a looping run, passing a number of Derry players along the end line before smartly placing a hand pass across the goal mouth for Patrick Lynch to palm to the back of the net.

Purple patch
Callum Lynch landed Cavan’s sixth score with a point before Derry hit their purple patch. Four unanswered points between the 12th and the 18th minutes by Morgan Murray, Daniel Bradley and two by David McGurk had the crowd wondering was this the start of the Derry come back.
That was answered emphatically when Callum Lynch broke through the Derry defence, and as the last defender slapped the ball out from Lynch’s hands, Lynch without breaking stride volleyed in Cavan’s third major.
For the remainder of the half it was all one way traffic. Cavan ran in five more points with Patrick Lynch accounting for three (two frees) and Dylan Molloy and Seanie Keogan accounting for the rest to effectively end the game as a contest with the score 3-9 to 0-4.
Cavan playing with speed moved the ball too fast for Derry to get a hand on. The selflessness and intelligence of the Cavan side, as well as they’re desire to win, was the difference between the sides in the opening half.
Cavan, who introduced Thomas Smith for the black carded Callum Lynch, before the break had to ensure they saw the game out as the second half became a little less intense. Derry hit three from Morgan Murray (2) and Fergal Mortimore to Cavan’s one by Patrick Lynch in the opening exchanges.
After that slow start Cavan came back up the gears. For the remainder of the game Cavan always looked in control as they ran off six points to Derry’s 1-1 with Morgan Murray converting a penalty and Conal Logan pointing for Derry’s last score. Substitutes Cian Shekelton and Gavin Brady sent over points from open play as did Cian McGovern to accompany Patrick Lynch’s three converted frees to see out the game.

Well organised

Cavan looked very well organised and have a lot of the indicators that you’d see in a great team but still showed some of the frailties that come with underage teams. Callum Lynch’s black card will be a

lesson that the second action is nearly always caught and some missed frees could cost in a tighter game.

Overall the balance of the team looked good with some ruthlessly tight defending at the back. The mid-field was controlled by Kenth Fadoju and Shane Hanley with Dylan Molloy interchanging into this area. Up front Cavan have some class on show. Cian McGovern while quitter than usual picked out some super passes with the boot and Callum Lynch was electric before his early shower. Inside Seanie Keogan looks the real deal, while Patrick Lynch finished with 2-7 in an impressive display. Sean Martin who played well has more to offer as he comes back from injury.

 

Cavan team: Stephen Lovett, Killian Brady (Capt), Fionn O’Reilly, Kelan Smyth, DJ Cassiday. Philip Nulty, Garett Mannion, Kenth Fadoju, Dylan Molloy (0-1), Cian McGovern (0-1), Shane Hanley (0-1), Callum Lynch (1-1), Seanie Keogan (0-3, 1f), Patrick Lynch (2-7, 5f), Sean Martin.
Subs. Thomas Smith, Cian Shekleton (0-1), Gavin Brady (0-1), Kyle Tyler, Mark McSherry, Kevin Curtis.
Derry team: Ryan Scullion, James Diamond, Ryan Cunning, Ciaran Feely, Mark Creane, Tiarnan Donaghy, Luke Murphy, Connlaoth McGee, Conor Mullan, Fergal Mortimore (0-1), David McGurk (0-2), Daniel Bradley (0-1f), Fintan Bradley, Aidan McGonigle, Morgan Murray (0-4).
Subs. Noel Rafferty, Oisin McCloskey, Ciaran Doyle, Padraig McAlynn, Daniel McCullum, Conal Logan (0-1).