Ulster SFC: Cavan Through To Semi-Final Courtesy Of Win Over Antrim

CAVAN 0-13

ANTRIM 0-9

By Daire Walsh

They didn’t have it all their own way at Kingspan Breffni on Saturday afternoon, but Cavan ultimately advanced to the Ulster Senior Football Championship semi-final with a four-point victory over Antrim.

Trailing 0-6 to 0-5 at the break, Cavan outscored their opponents by eight points to three on the resumption and this was enough to book a spot in the last-four of the competition against the winners of tomorrow’s clash between Down and Fermanagh.

When the game was in the melting pot, Gearoid McKiernan stepped up to the mark with three points – including two excellent efforts from open play. A Sigerson Cup champion with DCU at the beginning of the year, Thomas Edward Donohoe registered 0-3 off the bench.

Antrim put it up to their Breffni counterparts for large stretches and remained in the reckoning right up until the very end of the contest. However, their shooting was wayward in the second half and this allowed the hosts to eventually turn the tables on Lenny Harbinson’s men.

Following last week’s outstanding triumph over Monaghan, Cavan entered this game as warm favourites. Mickey Graham’s charges looked set to justify this tag with Oisin Pierson and Oisin Kiernan contributing points to give them early daylight.

There was no sense of panic within the Antrim ranks, however, and they were back on level terms by the 10th minute of the action. After half-forward Dermot McAleese superbly split the uprights, Paddy Cunningham (in his first championship appearance since 2014) converted a free off his trusty left boot.

Ciaran Brady did get forward from centre-back to kick a fine effort for Cavan but, with Mick McCann and Conor Murray (mark) adding their names to the scoresheet, the Saffrons were 0-4 to 0-3 in front at the first half water break.

Though scores were at a premium in the second-quarter, Cunningham did extend the Antrim lead with the help of the woodwork on 27 minutes. Cavan midfielder Cormac Timoney traded points with Kevin Quinn, before Ciaran Brady once again crept into attack for his second of the game.

The sin-binning of Killian Brady on the stroke of the interval left Cavan hamstrung but, if anything, it galvanised Graham’s troops.

While Paddy McCormack was added to the Antrim mix, the introduction of Thomas Galligan to the attack – and Donohoe seven minutes after the restart – provided Cavan with the fresh impetus they badly craved.

Slowly but surely, it enabled the home team to rein in the challenge of their determined opponents. Antrim maintained a threat close to goal and goalkeeper Raymond Galligan – who kicked the winning free against Monaghan last week – produced an outstanding stop from Patrick Gallagher.

After fellow defender Ciaran Brady had shown the way in the opening half, Killian Clarke did likewise with an equalising point on 39 minutes. This was supplemented by a McKiernan free as Cavan finally edged back into the ascendancy.

It wasn’t until the hour mark that Antrim grabbed their first score of the half, a Tomas McCann free after Cavan wing-back Gerard Smith had been black carded. Before that, the province’s most successful team (39 Ulster titles and five All-Irelands) created some daylight through Donohoe and Kiernan points.

Cavan were briefly reduced to 13 as a consequence of Kiernan’s temporary dismissal on 68 minutes. By this juncture, his side had stretched three points clear with the help of unanswered strikes by McKiernan and Donohoe – in advance of Patrick McBride’s first of the day for Antrim.

Antrim’s hopes remained alive when Murray pointed at the end of normal time, but Cavan held their nerve. Donohoe fired over the bar with a goal potentially there for the taking and McKiernan confirmed their place in the penultimate rounds with an insurance score deep into stoppage-time.

Scorers – Cavan: Gearoid McKiernan (1 free), Thomas Edward Donohoe (1 free, 1 mark) 0-3 each, Ciaran Brady, Oisin Kiernan 0-2 each, Killian Clarke, Cormac Timoney, Oisin Pierson 0-1 each. Antrim: Paddy Cunningham (2 frees), Conor Murray (1 mark) 0-2 each, Tomas McCann (free), Patrick McBride (free), Mick McCann, Kevin Quinn, Dermot McAleese 0-1 each.

CAVAN: Raymond Galligan; Jason McLoughlin, Killian Clarke, Killian Brady; Gerard Smith, Ciaran Brady, Luke Fortune; Cormac Timoney, Padraig Faulkner; Martin Reilly, Gearoid McKiernan, Oisin Kiernan; Oisin Pierson, Stephen Smith, Cormac O’Reilly. Subs: Thomas Galligan for S Smith (half-time), Thomas Edward Donohoe for Pierson (42), Christopher Conroy for K Brady (45), Niall Murray for O’Reilly (48).

ANTRIM: Oisin Kerr; Patrick Gallagher, Declan Lynch, Kevin O’Boyle; Peter Healy, James McAuley, Niall Delargy; Colum Duffin, Mick McCann; Kevin Quinn, Mark Sweeney, Dermot McAleese; Paddy Cunningham, Conor Murray, Patrick McBride. Subs: Paddy McCormack for Quinn (half-time), Odhrán Eastwood for Duffin, Tomas McCann for Cunningham (both 52), Marc Jordan for McAleese (56), Ruairi McCann for T McCann (63).

Referee: Paul Faloon (Down).