Bank of Ireland McKenna cup semi-final
CAVAN 1-8
FERMANAGH 1-7
John Hughes reports from Kingspan Breffni Park.

Every cloud has a silver lining they say, and one expects that’s how Pete McGrath will be looking at this McKenna cup semi-final exit. But first he’ll have to get over the stunning manner of this defeat when it looked like his men had a final berth in the bag.

“I’m very angry, because despite the fact we didn’t play particularly well in the second half we were gifted a goal three or four minutes before full time and couldn’t hold on to win the match. And at this level of football if you don’t know how to win matches when they’re there to be won you’re never going to achieve anything,” said McGrath.

Nevertheless, with Louth set to visit Brewster Park in ten days time in the NFL, it’s not exactly as if his charges have much time to feel sorry for themselves.

Both sides took time to find their range, each hitting wide before Sean Quigley knocked over after Fermanagh turned the Cavan kick out on six minutes.

The Erne men were dominating around the centre and Eoin Donnelly made that count two minutes later, picking out Barry Mulrone for the Devenish man to screw over a lovely score.

The homesters had to wait until the 12^th minute and a dead ball before they got off the mark, but it was worth waiting for, Martin Reilly striking over sweetly from just inside the 45 metre line

A feature of the first 20 minutes was the quality of Fermanagh’s tackling and defence and it took a lot of work before Cavan could register again, working the ball back out to Dara McVeety who winged over another lovely long range effort for the Breffni men.

Then two minutes later the game turned into a real exhibition of long range striking when Sean Quigley hit an immaculate free from the 45 to edge Fermanagh back in front.

Cavan continued to struggle with Fermanagh’s massed defence and were hit on the counter with 20 minutes gone, the Erne men working the ball up the pitch and getting Ryan Jones on the ball to drive over another long range stunner.

Then Dara McVeety went off and the seasoned Micheal Lyng was introduced coinciding with a change in Breffni fortunes about the middle of the park.

With a greater platform to build from Cavan had greater joy picking passes in the Erne rearguard. First Tom Hayes from play and then Niall McDermott with a free from edge of the area tying the game up.

McGrath responded to Terry Hyland’s switch with five left in the half bringing on the recently returned Damian Kelly. The Tempo man’s introduction saw the balance of power pivot once more and Fermanagh rally with two points before the break to go in leading by 0-6 to 0-4.

First they patiently went through the phases with Niall Cassidy and Barry Mulrone overlapping before getting the ball to Declan McCusker who squeaked his shot just inside the right upright.

Then a minute into added time the ball was collected out on the left wing by Sean Quigley and he flighted over a beauty to send Fermanagh in with a spring in their step.

The second half saw both sides slow to start again, Sean Quigley going close with a long range placed ball, but it came back off the upright and was sped away by Cavan. It fell to Niall McDermott to open the second half scoring with a free eight minutes in. Indeed another ten went by before Conor Moynagh sent over a tough effort from out on the left wing to level the game at six apiece. It was a sign of things to come.

A minute later Marty Reilly got time and space after Cavan turned the Fermanagh kick out to dart over the lead point.

Shortly after Chris Snow had to be strong after Niall McDermott tested him with a high dropping ball in, but Cavan were in the ascendant and Micheal Lyng floated over an excellent shot off the outside of the right boot to put them two to the good.

Then with nine minutes left in the game Lyng arrowed in a pass and James Allen lost Martin Dunne who went to ground. Dunne managed to send the ball to the net, but it was ruled out for a touch on the ground.

Having gone the entire half without a score Sean Quigley showed nerves as cool as the weather send over another free from pretty much the 45 with six minutes left and leave Fermanagh just a point behind. And it there was more where that came from.

Conor Gilsenan was coming out with the ball but he was dispossessed with surprising ease by Marty O’Brien who slipped past him and took care of the elementary job of tapping to the net with aplomb.

Five minutes to go and Fermanagh two to the good now.

But then, with normal time all but up, another goalkeeping blunder intervened as Chris Snow came out with the ball past the 20 metre line but could find no outlet. He passed back to Eoin Donnelly who had Niall McDermott on his case. McDermott won the ball and passed inside to Philip Tinnelly who palmed home despite the desperate efforts of the Fermanagh defence. Cavan back into a one point lead and time up.

The visitors searched desperately for the leveling score in added time, and came oh so close. Two minutes in a Sean Quigley free looked to have the legs, but it came back off the post. Cavan tried to work the rebound out, but conceded a free which Quigley took again, only to see it deflected out of for a 45. The 45 was the last kick of the game, but despite getting the range, Quigley’s shot tailed off just right and wide.

Looked at in the round, it has been a productive McKenna cup campaign for the Erne men, with a new defensive game plan road-tested. Now though, the experiments are over, and it’s time to test their system’s mettle in the rather more unforgiving forge of the National League.

Meanwhile, having disposed of the Erne challenge, Cavan now brace themselves for Tyrone on Saturday evening, itself a nice appetiser for the following weekend’s NFL opener in Kiltoom against Roscommon. It’s also an opportunity to add to their haul of 11 McKenna cup titles, the last one coming back in 2000.

 

Cavan

Conor Gilsenan; Killian Brady, Rory Dunne, Jason McLoughlin; Fergal Flanagan, Conor Moynagh (0-1), Martin Reilly (0-2, 1f); Damien O’Reilly, Killian Clarke; Dara McVeety (0-1), Christopher Conroy, Mark McKeever; Niall McDermott (0-2f), Tom Hayes (0-1), Jack Brady.

Subs: Micheal Lyng (0-1) for Dara McVeety 23m; Enda Hessin for Chris Conroy 41m; Barry Reilly for Jack Brady 49m; Joshua Hayes for Killan Brady 55m; Martin Dunne for Tom Hayes 60m; Philip Tinnelly (1-0) for Conor Moynagh 69m.

Yellow cards: Damien O’Reilly 40m; Micheal Lyng 57m.

 

Fermanagh

Chris Snow; Mickey Jones, James Allen, Niall Cassidy; Declan McCusker (0-1), Ryan McCluskey, Martin O’Brien (1-0); Eoin Donnelly, Richard O’Callaghan; Barry Mulrone (0-1), Ryan Jones (0-1), Paul McCusker; Ruairi Corrigan, Sean Quigley (0-4, 2f), Eoin McManus.

Subs: Damian Kelly for Richard O’Callaghan 30m; Tomás Corrigan for Paul McCusker 49m; James McMahon for Eoin McManus 56m; Darren McQuade for Damian Kelly 61m; Ciaran Flaherty for Ruairi Corrigan 68m.

 

Yellow cards: Marty O’Brien 40m; Eoin McManus 42m.

 

Referee: Martin McKenna (Monaghan).

Attendance: 2,150.

 

Star Man
Martin O’Reilly
Any man can play when he’s let, the test of a quality player is making it count when you’re not. O’Reilly was the man holding the thin blue line in a first half where Cavan where second best right across the pitch. With passing and a point he kept the Breffni men in it, then in the second half as Cavan came to dominate he was really able to showcase the full expanse of his impressive skillset.

MATCH STATISTICS

Cavan		Fermanagh
0/1	Goals 1st half / 2nd half	0/1
4/4	Points	6/1
0-3	Placed ball	0-2
11	Wides	7
2	Short	2
16	Frees conceded	15
13	Kick outs won	15
4	Own	8
9	Opposition	6