Four Masters make it second time lucky with Ulster minor win over Cavan Gaels

Four Masters are Ulster minor champions after getting the better of a dogged Cavan Gaels side at Shaws Road, Belfast.

Four Masers 1-10 Cavan Gaels 2-4

Two fortuituous goals in the first half kept the Cavan side in the game but the Four Masters boys eventually got on top again in the second half with young Tomás Carr, only 15 years of age, outstanding. In the final 10 minutes Four Masters opened a gap to four points and were able to hold on.

Four Masters captain Callum McCrea pictured after being presented with the cup
The Donegal Town side became only the third Donegal club to win the competition and it was some compensation for their defeat in the final last year by Dungiven.
Conor McCahill picked up the man of the match award but it must have been a close run thing as Kevin Muldoon and the two Carrs, Tomás and Turlough put in some shifts also. As did Tiarnan McBride, Cian Gavigan, Oisin Doherty, Callum McCrea and Daniel McGinty, the latter pair tasked with snuffing out Cavan Gaels dangerman Joshua Shehu. The fact that they limited him to one score, a fortunate goal, was an important factor in the win.
Cavan Gaels had a wall built to thwart Four Masters in the opening minutes but Tomas Carr got the Donegal Town boys on the board with a great score from distance after seven minutes.
It was also clear from early that Joshua Shehu was a real handful and it took a great block from Callum McCrea to deny him a point minutes later. But then he got a bit of luck with his next effort as it dipped into the corner of the net. He was surely going for a point.

Conor McCahill is presented with the Man of the Match by Antrim GAA chairman Seamus McMullan

The Four Masters response was very good with Kevin Muldoon at the centre of everything for the Donegal Town men. He won a free for Oisin Doherty to point and then was fouled from the kick-out and from fully 50m fired over a beauty to level things.
On 19 minutes Muldoon was involved again winning another free. Oisin Doherty's effort from the free was touched out for a '45' and up stepped Muldoon to fire over the black spot.

A minute later Four Masters hit the net with brothers Tomás and Turlough Carr involved before Conor McCahill was released and he fired with his right to the bottom corner and a 1-4 to 1-0 lead.

Shehu was wide from a very pointable free and Four Masters should have pushed ojn when Muldoon broke from defence and found McCahill and Turlough Carr in support. Carr ended with the ball but pulled his effort off target.

Ben Tully had Cavan Gaels' first point from a free on 25 minutes after Shehu had been hauled down and Callum McCrea was lucky to get yellow and not black.

Against the run of play Cavan Gaels were back on terms on 27 minutes when after a turnover, Josh Dunne found Cormac Crotty, who seemed to be going for a point but the ball hit the underside of the crossbar and ended in the net.
Half-time: Four Masters 1-4, Cavan Gaels 2-1

The second half was cagey again at the start and it was Cavan Gaels who broke the deadlock on 38 minutes, Finn Crowe getting in along the endline to fist over.

But Four Masters were level within two minutes, Turlough Carr going long and Tomás fielded well. He went for a point but it was deflected for a '45' and Kevin Muldoon again found the range.

Cian Gavigan nudged Four Masters ahead on 42 minutes after a Conor McCahill effort came back off an upright and Muldoon was wide with probably his easiest free seconds later.

Tomás Carr was involved again winning a kick-out and finding Oisin Doherty to push Masters two in front but Ben Tully left just a point between them on 46 minutes - Four Masters 1-7, Cavan Gaels 2-3.

Then came the push for home from Four Masters with Kevin Muldoon doing trojan work before Callum McCrea found a gap and pointed. Muldoon then combined with Tomás Carr, who was fouled and Oisin Doherty pointed the free.

And with a minute of normal time left, the Carr brothers combined to set Conor McCahill through to point, even though being fouled.

The four point lead was enough as while Cavan tried hard to get in for the goal needed, all they got was a Jakub Jaskiewicz free to leave Four Masters celebrating Ulster success.

Four Masters scorers: Conor McCahill 1-1; Oisin Doherty 0-3,2f; Kevin Muldoon 0-3,2'45s',f; Tomás Carr, Cian Gavigan, Callum McCrea 0-1 each.
Cavan Gaels scorers: Joshua Shehu, Cormac Crotty 1-0 each; Ben Tully 0-2,1f; Jakub Jaskiewicz (f), Finn Crowe 0-1 each.

Four Masters: Lewis McCaughan, Eoghan O’Neill, Daniel McGinty, Terence McGovern; Cian Gavigan, Callum McCrea, Aidan Quinn; Tiarnan McBride, Theo Colhoun; Tomás Carr, Kevin Muldoon, Patrick McGonagle; Conor McCahill, Oisin Doherty, Turlough Carr.
Sub: Alan McHugh for McGonigle (43)

Cavan Gaels: E Vennettilli; D Sommers, C Doyle, E Griksas; C Galligan, B Hanly, MA McDonagh; B Tully, M Monaghan; C Crotty, J Shehu, F McNamara; J Jaskiewicz, F Crowe, J Dunne.
Subs: Darragh McDonald for Galligan (39); Marcel Holko for Dunne (53); Josh Dunne for Monaghan (59)

Referee: Brendan Toland (Lamh Dearg, Antrim)