Donegal ease past Cavan

Ulster GAA Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final:
Cavan 1-8 v Donegal 2-14

Donegal were never really challenged as they comfortably strolled past an inexperienced Cavan side in Ulster GAA Championship Quarter-Final in Kingspan Breffni Park.

Goals from young Paddy McBrearty and Rory Kavanagh proved to be the key behind Donegal’s second win of the Ulster GAA Football Championship.

McBrearty, who is still eligible to play in the Minor grade, managed to finish his first Senior start for his county with an impressive 1-3 and could give himself a good shout for a starting position in the next game.

The win did come at a cost for Jim McGuinness’s men when star full-forward and captain Michael Murphy was given a straight red card and will now miss the clash with Tyrone in the Ulster GAA Football Championship Semi-Final.

Both sides were reduced to 14 men in this sluggish affair. Only seven minutes had passed when Cavan’s mountain was made even bigger when Ray Cullivan was given his marching orders as he clashed with Kevin Cassidy.

Cavan did start the brighter of the two teams, however, and had an early lead of 0-2 to 0-1 before both sides were reduced in numbers.

Donegal failed to take full advantage of being a man up before Murphy was sent to the sideline. They failed to score for the six minutes they had the extra man and it was not until 20 minutes had passed that Donegal drew level though a Colm McFadden free.

But moments later 18-year-old McBrearty fired a low shot that flew into the Cavan net and looked set Donegal on their way.

That goal kick-started Donegal’s challenge and they racked up a five-point lead just before the break, the best of the bunch coming from McFadden who looked to have his shooting boots on.

The sides went in at the break 1-6 to 0-3 points when McBrearty capped off a fine first half with a lovely point in injury time to leave the Breffni County needing a miracle to turn this game around.

That miracle never came and the game was over as a contest when Kavanagh came up with Donegal’s second goal. The midfielder was put into space by the lively McFadden and he drilled the ball past Damien Reilly in the Cavan goal.

Donegal kept the foot on the pedal and made sure that there was to be no comeback from a demoralised Cavan side.

McFadden and McBrearty rounded off their performances with further scores and substitute Leo McLoone also got in on the act with a score, making his comeback from a broken ankle sustained in March.

The game was all but over when Cavan managed to grab a consolation goal through Mickey Brennan, who was quickest to the rebound of a poorly struck penalty from Seán Johnston.

Tyrone are up next for Donegal in the last four of the Ulster GAA Championship while Cavan now have the tricky task of overcoming Longford in the ‘back door’ system.

Cavan Scorers: M Brennan (1-1), N McDermott (0-4, 3f), S Johnston (0-1, 1f), G McKiernan (0-1), F Flanagan (0-1)

Donegal Scorers: P McBrearty (1-3, 1f), C McFadden (0-5, 2f) R Kavanagh (1-0), D Molloy (0-2), K Rafferty (0-1); K Cassidy (0-1) L McCloone (0-1) M Murphy (0-1, 1f)

Cavan: J Reilly; D Sheridan, P Carroll, D O’Dowd; N Murray, J McCutcheon, D Reilly, R Cullivan, D Givney, G McKiernan, M Lyng, F Flanagan, N McDermott, E Keating, S Johnston. Subs: G Smith for M Lyng (43), M McKeever for D O’Reilly (47), T Corr for D Sheridan (50), C Mackey for N Murray (56), M Brennan for E Keating (61).

Donegal: P Durcan; K Lacey, N McGee, P McGrath; K Cassidy , A Thompson, Marty Boyle; R Kavanagh, K Rafferty; M McElhinney, P McBrearty, R Bradley; M McHugh, M Murphy, C McFadden. Subs: M Hegarty for M McElhinney (30), L McCloone for K Cassidy (52), D Molloy for R Bradley (54), N Gallagher for K Rafferty (57), D Walsh for M McHugh (65).