Second-half collapse sees Cavan slip to embarrassing loss against Donegal

All-Ireland SFC round 2

Donegal 3-26

Cavan 1-13

Paul Fitzpatrick at Kingspan Breffni

The momentum and confidence Cavan gained with an unexpected win in Castlebar has been replaced by despondency after a very demoralising loss against Donegal which leaves more questions than answers.

Cavan were well in the game at half-time when they trailed by seven points, although they had given away a goal with a needless error in the final play of the half, but the second-half performance was one of their worst in living memory. Records indicate that Donegal’s 3-26 was the highest score Cavan have ever conceded in championship football.

The collapse felt even more stark as it wasn’t expected. There wasn’t much between the teams in the first half, with Donegal leading for most of it, but a very soft turnover by Cavan, just after the hooter, saw Donegal break and Finbarr Roarty palm in a goal which turned a manageable four-point half-time deficit into a much more daunting seven.

The first half was a tremendous battle, with huge physicality. Donegal, playing with a strong breeze at their backs, sat deep and looked to hit Cavan on the break while the hosts, wary of wayward shots into the wind, worked the ball through the hands mostly as they tried to pick the padlock.

Cavan were handed an easy opener when Evan Crowe won the throw-in and was impeded; the free was moved up 50 metres and Cian Madden knocked it over but Donegal settled and, by the fifth minute, they were 0-3 to 0-1 ahead after two lovely individual points from Shane O’Donnell and an outside-the-boot effort from Peadar Mogan.

Cian Madden fisted a point for Cavan after good work from Gerry Smith but Donegal pulled three clear when Michael Murphy showed out in front and stroked over a two-pointer at his ease.

On the quarter-hour mark, Cavan drew level when Evan Crowe’s weak effort was half-blocked and Brían O’Connell dived bravely in at the back post and flicked to the net but Donegal showed their quality with two quick points in response from Caolán McColgan and Murphy (45).

On the 21-minute mark, Cavan were level again after Cormac O’Reilly curled in and then turned provider for Dara McVeety. Frees from Murphy and Madden levelled the game again 10 minutes before half-time but that was as good as it got.

Donegal would kick 1-5 without reply either side of half-time which knocked the stuffing out of Cavan, who were destroyed on their own kick-out in particular and collapsed as the second half wore on.

Two from Conor O’Donnell another Murphy 45 and a Paddy McBrearty free , along with Roarty’s goal, left seven between them and the second half was a procession.

Wind-assisted, Cavan introduced James Smith and Paddy Lynch but neither were able to make an impact as Donegal played superbly against the elements.

A Murphy free got them going on the restart and although Madden and McVeety (two-pointer) cut the gap to five, as the half went on, Cavan looked gassed and Donegal cut through them at will.

The elusive Shane O’Donnell was at the heart of everything, with Jim McGuinness – who was irate on the sideline as tempers frayed towards the end of the first half – running his bench.

A Murphy point after a terrific run from Peadar Mogan made it 1-14 to 1-8 but, embarrassingly for Cavan, Donegal would win the final 25 minutes by 2-12 to 0-5.

The second goal came from Conor O’Donnell, whose finish was perfect, with Caolán McColgan rattling home the third major with the final play of the game.

Cavan: Liam Brady, Niall Carolan, Brían O’Connell, Cian Reilly, Padraig Faulkner, Ciaran Brady, Killian Brady, Evan Crowe, Oisin Kiernan, Gerard Smith, Dara McVeety, Cian Madden, Sean McEvoy, Ryan Donohoe, Cormac O’Reilly

Subs: James Smith for S McEvoy, Paddy Lynch for R Donohoe (both ht), Oisin Brady for Cormac O’Reilly, Killian Clarke for C Madden (52), Luke Fortune for K Brady (57),

Donegal: Gavin Mulreany, Finnbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan, Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Ciaran Moore, Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan, Caolán McColgan, Ciaran Thompson, Shane O’Donnell, Patrick McBrearty, Michael Murphy, Conor O’Donnell

Subs: Oisin Gallen for P McBrearty (ht), Dara Ó Baoíll for M Murphy (53), Stephen McMenamin for F Roarty (56), Jamie Brennan for P Mogan (61), Odhran Doherty for EB Gallagher (65)