Donegal come from six down against Cavan to reach Ulster minor semi-final

In a game that had an amazing finish Donegal squeezed through to the Ulster minor championship semi-final defeating Cavan in Breffni Park.

Donegal 1-11, Cavan 2-7

Donegal led by three at half-time and then trailed by six with 54 minutes on the clock but somehow managed to turn the game around.

They  would have gone home very disappointed if they had lost because they had plenty of chances in the second half but hit wide after wide.

But when it mattered they found something and their captain Finbar Roarty was an inspiration involved in so many of Donegal's scoring moments.

It took 10 minutes for the first score to arrive with Donegal registering two wides and one turnover when they looked to be in for a score.

Captain Finbar Roarty led the way with a great run and he finished in style. Darragh Noonan replied for Cavan on 14 minutes but thereafter the Donegal defence was very solid with three great blocks recorded in the second quarter from Darragh Hennigan, Jordi Gribben and Oisin Scanlon.

But scores remained hard to come back. The next point arrived on 19 minutes and it was well finished by Jack Hegarty after Luke Clerkin had made the break.

Conor McCahill was getting little reward inside against the tight marking Cavan full-back but when he came outfield, he hit a magnificent point from 40m on 24 minutes.

Lorcan McGee finished off another great break from Finbar Roarty on 27 minutes and two minutes later the point of the half was also finished by McGee after a good move involving Jack Hegarty and once again Finbar Roarty.

Cavan had a whirlwind start to the second half with four points in four minutes to go ahead. The points came from Joshua Shehu, Eanna Ward, Jake Whyte (free) and Ben Tully (free).

Donegal were almost punished when ‘keeper McBride out from goal was penalised for a double hop and was struggling to get back.

Donegal eventually got on the board with Mark Clerkin finished a sweeping move involving Conor McCahill and Roarty.

Padraig McBride made a great stop from Shehu at one end while Donegal missed a series of chances with Clerkin off target and Shane Callaghan missing a couple of chances, one of which could have been developed into a goal. 

After their 11th wide, Lorcan McGee cut through to edge Donegal back in front with 12 minutes left. But then disaster struck as Cavan got through and Dylan Edwards pulled first time to find the Donegal net.

Substitute Jamie Clarke pushed the Cavan lead to three and it was six on 55 minutes when a free from Ben Tully from 47m eluded Padraig McBride and ended in the Donegal net.

But the drama was only beginning as Danny Brown pulled a point back before Oisin Scanlon finished a Donegal goal after Conor McCahill’s effort had been parried.

Finbar Roarty set up points for Danny  Brown and a magnificent pass for Darragh Hennigan to tie the game with a minute of added time played.

Amazingly, a minute later Donegal were back in front when Conor McCahill secured a turnover and Shane Callaghan, Donegal’s top scorer in the campaign, got his only point of the game, but what a vital one.

Cavan did have two chances to force extra-time but were off target.

Cavan  scorers: Ben Tully 1-1,0-1f; Dylan Edwards 1-0; Eanna Ward, Joshua Shehu, Ben O’Hara (f), Jake Whyte (f), Darragh Noonan, Jamie Clarke 0-1 each.

Donegal scorers: Lorcan McGee 0-3; Oisin Scanlon 1-0; Danny Brown 0-2; Finbar Roarty, Darragh Hennigan, Luke Clerkin, Jack Hegarty, Shane Callaghan, Conor McCahill 0-1 each.

Cavan: Liam Bell; Philip Shannon, Jensen Tynan, Fiachra Brady; Luke Allison, Cormac McAvinney, Aaron Shekleton; Ben Tully, Eanna Ward; Joshua Shehu, Ryan Nwaneri, Dylan Edwards; Odhran Madden, Ben O’Hara, Darragh Noonan.

Subs: Andrew  Hill for Madden; Jake  Whyte for O’Hara (both ht);  Arijus Metlovas for Nwaneri (44); Jamie Clarke for Noonan (49)

Donegal: Padraig McBride; Donal  Gallagher, Jordi Gribben, Callum McCrea; Finbar Roarty, Darragh Hennigan, Luke Clerkin; Oisin Scanlon, Lorcan McGee; Jack Hegarty, Shane Callaghan, Eoghan Scott; Dylan Mulholland, Conor McCahill, Eoin Gallagher.

Subs: Danny Brown for Mulholland (41); Max Campbell for Hegarty (49); Shane Ellison for E Gallagher (58); Gavin Doherty and Ronan Maher for Brown and Callaghan (60+4)

Referee: Diarmaid Boylan (Monaghan)