U16 ladies defeat Down to complete Ulster clean sweep

Ulster Minor Platinum final

Cavan 4-11

Down 4-4

Aideen Coyle at Healy Park

The blue wave of underage ladies football success continues unabated with the Cavan U16s, who are the reigning All-Ireland champions in the premier grade, running out seven-point winners in this goalfest played in Omagh last weekend.

Cavan did it the hard way on this occasion, too, rallying from four points down at the interval to bag a whopping 4-8 in the second half in a remarkable 30 minutes full of purposeful attacking football.

Key to Cavan’s win was a haul of 2-4 unanswered in the third quarter after they recovered from the sin-binning of influential goalkeeper Fáinche Higgins (Mullahoran).

Down stood in the way of Cavan U16s defending their Ulster title on Sunday and came into the tie slight favourites having defeated the Breffni side 5-13 to 3-09 in the opening round of the competition.

However, Cavan came into Sunday’s final quietly confident after a four-game unbeaten run in the group stages where they recorded a remarkable 23-49 in total across the games.

Cavan struggled in the opening half to find their usual free flowing rhythm and managed just three points from frees as they went in at the break trailing 1-04 to 0-03 after conceding a penalty and having goalkeeper Fainche Higgins shown a yellow card.

However, as the shot stopper returned after the restart Cavan hit a blistering 2-4 without reply in the third quarter to open up a six-point lead entering the final 15 minutes where they continued to dominate the encounter.

Cavan started brightly with two converted frees from taliswoman Abby Reilly but failed to score another till the Knockbride woman pointed her third free deep into injury time.

During this time Down hit 1--4 as Cavan struggled to break down the table toppers.

A point from Annie McEvoy and a free from Lily Magee brought the sides level with 13 minutes played. A second from McEvoy put the minimum between the teams before disaster struck for Michael Lee’s side.

Goalkeeper Fainche Higgins was deemed to have brought down Magee in the square and was harshly shown a yellow card by the match referee. Cadhla Moffitt slotted into goals and could do nothing to stop the well struck penalty from Clodagh Simpson.

A well-taken point from Anna McArdle left five between the teams with Cavan’s backline being put to the test.

However, Cavan showed their quality and, in the true test of their champion status, their resolve was highly impressive as they refused to panic and dug deep to claw back the deficit and then overhaul the talented Mourne side.

To their credit the Breffni defenders weathered the storm with the half back line of Caitlin Crowe, Kate McSeain and Gia McCabe having an exceptional game.

A vital interception from McCabe set Cavan on one final attack as the half drew to a conclusion with clubmate Reilly being fouled before converting her own free to leave the deficit at four at the break.

On the resumption Cavan immediately reduced the gap to one when Caitlin Crowe intercepted a loose pass and played through Abby Reilly, who jinked her way through the Down defenders before burying the ball to the net.

With Cavan’s next attack the sides were level as half-time substitute Jane Hetherton was fouled with Reilly pointing from close range.

Cavan were now showing a real spark in attack with captain Emilia Mussi and Abby Reilly pointing two excellent scores from play to put Cavan ahead by two.

With 10 second-half minutes played and Cavan growing in confidence the excellent Mussi rose tallest to win the resulting kick-out and played in Katie McGahern for Cavan’s second goal of the tie.

Another point from the outstanding Reilly left Cavan cruising with a quarter remaining.

Trailing by six Down opened their second half account with a brilliant goal from substitute Grace Gordon. But the Cavan girls replied perfectly with a further 2-03. Another Reilly free was followed by Cavan’s third goal as Sarah McAvinney beautifully lobbed goalkeeper Cadhla Faloon after being played through by Mussi, who also was a key member of the 2023 All-Ireland-winning team, once again.

With 24 minutes on the clock Down’s Lucy Elmore was shown a yellow card as Cavan hit another two points from Cornafean duo Niamh McCaffrey and Katie McGahern before Jane Hetherton hit her sides fourth and final goal of the contest.

Down finished the tie with two consolation goals from substitute Orla Owens with Hetherton pointing Cavan’s final score on a memorable day for the county.

Sunday’s victory not only seals back-to-back titles for the U16s but also makes it a clean sweep for Cavan underage teams with the U14s, U16s and U18s all winning Platinum titles.

The U16s now look ahead to the All-Ireland semi-final which is set for Thursday June 27.

Cavan: Fainche Higgins, Emma Mulligan, Annie Crowe, Aine McDwyer, Kate McSeain, Caitlin Crowe, Gia McCabe, Emilia Mussi (C) 0-01, Eimear Gannon, Sarah McAvinney, Abby Reilly 1-07 (5f), Briana Quaile, Niamh McCaffrey 0-01 (1f), Molly Smith, Katie McGahern 1-01

Subs used: Holly Forde Peat for E. Mulligan, Jane Hetherton 1-01 for B. Quaile, Kayla O’Reilly for M. Smith

Down: Cadhla Faloon, Lucy Elmore, Helen McGeough, Farrah May Morgan, Ava McArdle, Maria Murdock, Hannah Cassin, Cliodhna McGrath, Erin Daly, Annie McEvoy 0-02, Lily Magee 0-01 (1f), Isla McCarron, Niamh Napier, Clodagh Simpson 1-00 (1-00f), Anna McArdle 0-01

Subs used: Evie McHugh for H. Cassin, Lauren Devlin for E. Daly, Grace Gordon 1-00 for C. McGrath, Eloise Austin for A. McArdle, Orla Owens 2-00 for A. McArdle

Referee: Jude Dixon (Derry)