Historic win as Cuchulainns reach a first Ulster final

Ulster Club IFC semi-final

Cuchulainns 2-11

Clonoe (Tyrone) 1-13

Damien Donohoe at the Athletic Grounds

Cuchulainns enjoyed one of the greatest days in their club’s history on Saturday evening in the Athletic Grounds, Armagh, as they became the first team in the club ever to book a place in a provincial final. In doing so, they knocked out a highly fancied Clonoe side, the Tyrone champions, in a pulsating and close contest, that engrossed and ultimately ended with the Cavan men showing huge composure under suffocating late pressure.

It was also a rare breakthrough for Cavan clubs. The last time a Cavan team beat Tyrone opposition in the Ulster Club Championship was back in 2007, when Ballinagh overcame Killyman on their way to lifting the provincial title. Cuchulainns arrived as underdogs here, but they scarcely played like them. They trailed only twice across the hour and showed leadership in every sector when the moment demanded it.

From the throw-in, the game had the feel of something significant. Clonoe started brightly, Rhys Donnelly clipping a right-footed point after two minutes to settle the Tyrone men. Cuchulainns answered through Bryan Magee, who swung over his first of four points after strong work by Niall Carolan and Ryan Tobin.

Danny McNulty nudged Clonoe back in front with a long-range effort after a turnover, but Cuchulainns hit the next two scores, a gorgeous curling point from Turlough Farrelly and then a Philip Smyth effort after neat interplay between Tobin and Cian Doughty, to move ahead for the first time on nine minutes.

That early Farrelly point was a taste of things to come. The wing forward delivered his finest performance in club colours, a display of relentless workrate, pace and bravery that evoked memories of the big-game moments his father Terry delivered for Cavan during his own inter-county days. Farrelly’s tracking and tackling were enormous, his willingness to shoulder responsibility in the dying minutes was a pivotal moment in the game.

Clonoe, to their credit, were always dangerous. Ryan McCabe levelled with a beautifully struck left-footer and, after Smyth gave Cuchulainns the lead, the Tyrone champions were stung again when keeper Ryan Lennon came forward to chip over a 45 for Niall Lynch’s side. The game’s opening goal arrived on 17 minutes. Cian Donoghue punched a gap with an incisive hand-pass, and when Niall Carolan burst straight through the middle, he showed perfect timing to slip a pass to Adrian Taite. Cool as you like, Taite rounded the keeper and rolled the ball home to give Cuchulainns a 1-4 to 0-3 lead.

Clonoe responded like champions. Connor McAliskey tapped over from the restart, added a free after Lennon made a huge save to deny a goal, and then punished an off-the-ball foul with his third point to cut the deficit to one. A second Donnelly point levelled matters once again at 1-4 to 0-7.

But Cuchulainns refused to loosen their grip. Magee, increasingly influential, slotted his second after a driving run from Tobin. Shea Coney equalised three minutes into injury time, but Magee had the last say of the half. Gathering a loose ball near midfield, he drove forward, invited contact, earned a free 35 metres out, and nudged it over with minimum fuss to give Cuchulainns a 1-6 to 0-8 lead at the break. A precious margin having played into a slight breeze.

Magee opened the second-half scoring before coming within inches of a second Cuchulainns goal. Oisin Carolan forced a turnover on the stand side, and Magee burst through only to see his low shot cannon off the post. But just as Clonoe breathed out, Cuchulainns pressed up on the next kickout, forced a mishit, and pounced. Carolan again created the overlap and Evan Doughty arrived on time to finish brilliantly into the corner for a 2-7 to 0-8 advantage.

Clonoe came roaring back. PJ Lavery rattled the post with a thunderous effort, McAliskey tacked on another free, and minutes later he ballooned the game back into life with a two-point free that narrowed the margin to just two. The Tyrone champions had momentum and the Cuchulainns support sensed danger, but Evan Doughty, ice-cold under pressure, curled over a 39-metre free after Carolan was fouled to steady the ship.

Ryan McCabe cut it again with his second point before a Clonoe goal chance flashed wide off Lennon’s gloves. Five minutes remained when McAliskey struck another free, leaving the minimum between the sides and the tension thickening.

Then came the defining surge. Farrelly claimed possession 55 metres out with Clonoe pressing man-to-man. Knowing the moment required courage, he flew past his marker, cut inside the 40 and curled a sensational score off his right to push Cuchulainns two clear. From the next Clonoe kickout, the Mullagh men’s press suffocated again. Niall Magee arrived on the breaking ball, ghosted in from the left and delivered a second hammer blow to Clonoe with a point on his right.

Again Cuchulainns bravely squeezed the restart. This time, surprisingly high up the field, corner-back Cian Doughty was there to deliver one more punch, breaking through a tackle and into space before clipping over an insurance score that sent the Cavan crowd wild.

But the drama wasn’t done. Clonoe broke through with seconds remaining and earned a soft penalty, which McAliskey fired home to make it a one-point game two minutes into stoppage time. The next kickout would decide everything. Ryan Lennon went long, Cuchulainns secured the ball, and although a looping return pass momentarily put Ruairi O’Connell under pressure inside his own 45, the corner-back shrugged off the challenges, burned into open grass and held the ball long enough for the referee to sound the final whistle.

And with that, history was sealed and a third successive Ulster Intermediate final for Cavan. Cuchulainns marched into their first Ulster final, carried there by bravery, fierce running, smart structure, and a team that simply refuses to blink where they will face Derry side Glenullin.

Cuchulainns: Ryan Lennon(0-1’45); Cian Doughty(0-1), Cian Donoghue, Ruairi O’Connell; Oisin Carolan, Niall Carolan, Ryan Tobin; Philip Smyth(C)(0-1), Adrian Taite(1-0); Turlough Farrelly(0-2), Evan Doughty(1-1f), Mark Gilsenan; Niall Magee(0-1), Bryan Magee(0-4,1f), Adam O’Reilly

Subs: Glen McCann for A Taite, Oisin Donoghue for M Gilsenan, Sean Kenny for A O’Reilly, Luke Doyle for O Carolan.

Clonoe: Mickey O’Neill; James Taggart, Conall Coyle, Shane Hughes; Shea Coney(0-1), PJ Lavery, Darragh McGrath; Declan McClure (C), Ryan Morrow; Rhys Donnelly(0-2), Danny McNulty(0-1), Ryan McCabe(0-2); Tommy Taggart, Connor McAliskey(1p-7,4f,1tpf), Fintan McClure

Subs: Ryan Quinn for D McGrath, Pascal McClure for C Coyle.