Minor ladies record big win over Antrim

Cavan 8-17
Antrim 4-5

By Aideen Coyle

Cavan minors made the trip to Belfast last Sunday to begin their Ulster championship campaign. Joint managers Laura Browne and Padraig Sheridan along with their management team of Damian McCormack and Barry McGovern had a strong panel of players to choose from for the coming season with 19 different clubs represented on the panel. The team have trained extremely hard and have had many challenge games in preparation for the Ulster campaign.
Cavan got off to a flying start registering an impressive 4-2 without reply inside the opening 10 minutes. It took Cavan just 1 minute to get their opening score with Saoirse Kiernan rattling the net. 
A minute later and Emma Halton registered her first point of the game before Kiernan hit the net for her second goal. Cavan forwards and midfield worked extremely hard inside the opening quarter making it difficult for Antrim to work the ball out of their half.
With only five minutes played Emma Halton found the net for her second score and from the resulting kick out Cara McCaffrey had her first point of the game. As Cavan continued to increase the pressure on the Antrim backline Aisling Walls picked up Cavan’s fourth and final goal of the half.  Antrim’s Theresa Mellon got her team on the scoresheet in the 10th minute.
Cavan extended their lead to 4-7 to 0-1 scoring a further five points without reply from Keri McCormack, Emma Halton, Cara McCaffrey (two) and Aine Reilly. Cavan were forced to play out the remainder of the half with a player less as Amy Galligan was shown a yellow and five minutes Emma Halton was also shown yellow. 
During this time the hosts outscored Cavan 1-0 to 0-2 and could have scored more but for Joanne Reilly in the Cavan nets. Aoife Crowe came on in place of Saoirse Kiernan and Deirbhile Lynch replaced Keri McCormack.
Antrim’s Ellen Morgan got her side back on the scoresheet before midfielder Duana Coleman got Antrim’s first goal. Joanne Reilly was called into action for the first time to deny Ellen Morgan with a super save. Ruth Smyth and Eabha Whelan came on for Cavan. Ellen Morgan got her side’s last score of the half with Cara McCaffrey and Aoife Crowe registering Cavan’s final scores at the other end. Half-time score: Cavan 4-9 Antrim 1-3.
Antrim started straight out of the blocks with the lively corner forward Ellen Morgan hitting the net for the opening score inside the opening minute. Antrim’s come back was short lived as Reilly found a Cavan player with her kick out to set Cavan on their first attack, the ball was worked up as far as Eabha Whelan who fired to the Antrim net to cancel out the oppositions opening score. 
Kaioni Tuipulato replaced Amy Galligan at corner back as the hosts were down to 14 players with Mairead Murray being shown a yellow.
Olivia Murphy got her first score of the game before Antrim got their third goal in the fourth minute, Theresa Mellon. Cavan captain Aine Reilly then got her second point of the game. 
With Cavan continuing to apply pressure to the Antrim kick out they set off on another attack which resulted in a penalty. Cara McCaffrey stepped up and made no mistake in hitting the net with the resulting spot kick. Two more points from Aine Reilly stretched the lead to 6-13 to 3-3 as Cavan made more changes with Sarah Clarke, Amy Hall, Annie Deneher, Amy McIntyre and Ciara Duffy all entering the game.
Emma Halton who was a constant threat in attack added another goal and point to her personal tally. At the other end of the field Joanne Reilly made another excellent save to deny a certain Antrim goal before being replaced by Kate Madden. Antrim’s Aimee Traynor got her first score of the game. Cavan continued to empty the bench with Becky O’Brien, Kate McCrystal, Saoirse Kiernan and Aisling Walls coming in for the final quarter. 
Substitute Amy McIntyre got Cavan’s eight goal with a great finish, which was followed by a double embrace from Aisling Walls and a point from Sarah Clarke. Antrim’s Mallon got a fourth goal for her team but this was only to be a consolidation as the final whistle sounded. 
An all-round impressive performance from the Cavan ladies got them off to a flying start in group 1 of the minor championship with the next game at home to Donegal on March 14, followed by a trip to Derry on March 25.

Cavan Scorers: Emma Halton 2-3, Saoirse Kiernan 2-0, Cara McCaffrey 1-4, Aisling Walls 1-2, Aine Reilly 0-4, Amy McIntyre 1-0, Eabha Whelan 1-0, Aoife Crowe 0-1, Keri McCormack 0-1, Olivia Murphy 0-1, Sarah Clarke 0-1. 
Antrim scorers: Theresa  Mellon 2-1, Ellen Morgan 1-2, Duana Coleman 1-0,  Aimee Traynor 0-2

Cavan: Joanne Reilly, Amy Galligan, Ciara Kellegher, Rachel McEnroe, Hannah Fitzsimons, Hannah Smith, Cara Maguire, Olivia Murphy, Ally Cahill, Cara McCaffrey, Aisling Walls, Emma Halton, Keri McCormack, Aine Reilly (Capt.), Saoirse Kiernan 
Subs used: Kate Madden, Aoife Crowe, Aimee McIntyre, Amy Hall, Annie Deneher, Becky O’Brien, Ciara Duffy, Ciara Circiran, Deirbhile Lynch, Eabha Whelan, Kaioni Tuipulotu, Kate McCrystal, Maria Mussi, Ruth Smyth, Sarah Clarke

Antrim: Caragh Shannon, Olivia Cardwell, Siantelle Boyd, Rose Sherlock, Kerry McConville, Bronagh Laverty, Maeve Mullholland, Duana Coleman, Ciara Austin, Theresa Mellon, Mairead Murray, Niamh McKay, Aimee Traynor, Eireann Boyd, Ellen Morgan