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Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Donegal triumph over Cavan to put championship aspirations back on track
All-Ireland SFC: Donegal 3-26 Cavan 1-13 Order restored. Donegal got back on track with a comfortable 19-point victory in a contest that petered out long before the final whistle at Breffni Park. It was all in stark contrast to the closing stages of a cantankerous first half in which six yellow cards were flashed – including one to Jim McGuinness and another to a member of the Cavan backroom team. It threatened to boil over in those dying moments of the first half with grappling matches breaking out across the pitch. McGuinness even raced up the line and went nose to nose with his opposite number, Raymond Galligan. For the neutrals it was all very entertaining but for Donegal fans among the 12,509 in attendance it merely underlined the stakes at play in relation to their All-Ireland aspirations. READ MORE Having lost to Tyrone last weekend, leaving Cavan with their tails between their legs wasn't really an option for Donegal. They needed to show their mettle and in truth they won this All-Ireland SFC Group 1 clash in those frantic moments just before half-time, hitting 1-1. There were three points between the sides when it all got hot and heavy on the sideline. Cavan, having pulled off a shock victory over Mayo two weeks ago, were poking another bear. Only this time the bear roared back. Donegal's Michael Murphy tackles Cavan's Niall Carolan. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho First, Patrick McBrearty tapped over a free in the final minute of the half but there was still time for the Cavan kickout. The home side, playing against the wind in the opening half, won possession and after the hooter sounded they opted to keep the ball alive and try force a score. However, Ryan Donohoe was turned over and Donegal immediately smelt blood. In a rapid counterattack the move ended with Michael Murphy offloading to McBrearty who put the ball across the face of the goal to the incoming Finbarr Roarty, who finished neatly to give his side a seven-point advantage at the turnaround, 1-12 to 1-5. 'I think, realistically, the goal just before half-time really knocked us,' said Galligan afterwards. 'We were excellent for what, 32 minutes. We ticked a lot of boxes in the sense of what we were looking for in the first half. 'But just in three minutes we lost our composure, we lost possession. And at this level you're going to get hurt. And I think that probably was a sucker blow because we'd done so much right.' Cavan had the benefit of the wind in the second half but a comeback never seemed likely. They did narrow the gap to five points at one stage but Donegal dominated the second period, outscoring the home side 2-14 to 0-8 after the break. The sting had been taken out of the game. Donegal's Caolan McColgan celebrates scoring the final point of the game. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho The first-half incident from which McGuinness was booked appeared to have been sparked after referee Fergal Kelly halted a breakaway Donegal attack because of a head injury to Cavan's Dara McVeety. 'Listen, we were frustrated with some of the calls, we were trying to talk to the officials. We weren't getting very far,' said McGuinness. 'There were a couple of instances where we were on the transition and those transitional moments were pulled. 'There were two or three things like that there at crucial moments almost in the game at that moment in time. So that was very frustrating.' The fire and brimstone of the first half was replaced by Donegal wrapping players in cotton wool and eyeing up the bigger picture. Murphy was brought ashore midway through the second half. He had been immense during his time on the pitch, scoring from a range of angles and leading the line well despite the close attention of Killian Brady. The kickout battle proved a productive feeding ground for Donegal where Michael Langan and Hugh McFadden was effective though there were periods when both sides struggled at retaining their own restarts. The absence of Shaun Patton due to an ankle injury (McGuinness indicated afterwards he should be available for the Mayo game) meant Gavin Mulreany started between the posts for Donegal. Mulreany will probably feel he could have done better to deny Brian O'Connell a goal in the 16th minute, but overall Cavan just didn't carry enough of a scoring threat. Donegal had 12 different scorers, including Oisín Gallen and Jamie Brennan off the bench. Conor and Shane O'Donnell both caused Cavan problems. Conor O'Donnell scores a goal for Donegal. Photograph: Lorraine O'Sullivan/Inpho Donegal's hard-running game against the wind in the second half was impressive and Cavan visibly tired as they attempted to curtail the incessant yellow and green wave after wave of attack. The Ulster champions face Mayo next while Cavan tackle Tyrone again. Scoring difference might yet become a factor in sorting out this group and so nearing the finish Donegal refused to ease down through the gears here, even though victory had been long secured. In fact they finished the second half the same way they finished the first – with a goal. After the hooter sounded, Donegal worked the ball through a jaded Cavan defensive screen and Caolan McColgan netted. 'I don't know if it (scoring difference) will become a thing or not, but listen, there were a lot of people in Ballybofey last week,' said McGuinness. 'You need to go in there, you need to deliver a performance. There are no guarantees in football but go in and deliver a performance that shows who you are and your identity. 'And we didn't do that and we were very disappointed about that. So, we're delighted that we were able to do that today and get points on the board. And now there are four teams and two points so anything can happen, really.' DONEGAL: G Mulreany; F Roarty (1-0-0), B McCole, P Mogan (0-0-1); R McHugh (0-0-1), E Bán Gallagher, C McColgan (1-0-1); H McFadden, M Langan; S O'Donnell (0-0-3), C Thompson (0-0-3, 2f), C Moore (0-0-1); P McBrearty (0-0-1, 1f), M Murphy (0-1-5, 2′45, 2f), C O'Donnell (1-0-4). Subs: O Gallen (0-0-3) for McBrearty (ht); D Ó Baoill for Murphy (54 mins); S McMenamin for Roarty (57); J Brennan (0-0-1) for Mogan (62); A Doherty for Gallagher (65). CAVAN: L Brady (0-0-1, 1′45); C Reilly, K Brady, N Carolan; P Faulkner, B O'Connell (1-0-0), C Brady; E Crowe, O Kiernan; G Smith (0-0-1), D McVeety (0-1-2), C Madden (0-0-4, 2f), S McEvoy, R Donohoe, C O'Reilly (0-0-1). Subs: J Smith (0-0-1) for McEvoy, P Lynch for Donohoe (both ht); O Brady for O'Reilly (50 mins); K Clarke (0-0-1) for Madden (52); L Fortune for K Brady (57). Referee: F Kelly (Longford).
Irish Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Mayo manager admits his team came up against ‘really energetic' Cavan side
There aren't many Cavan fans around who were there the last time the Breffnimen defeated Mayo in the championship 77 years ago but the ones who did make the trip west, with apologies to Prince, partied like it was 1949 as Mayo walked into a blue and white haymaker. Cavan were eight points up entering injury time, and while Aidan O'Shea's tremendous goal in junk time helped take the bad look off it for the home side, that's what this was – bad. Manager Kevin McStay didn't try to dress it up as anything else either, admitting that his side were fortunate to be within three at Paul Faloon's long whistle. 'No points now, the challenge becomes a bit more steep,' said McStay. 'The game against Tyrone was always going to be a big game but it's got a bit of edge to it now, obviously. Planning for home points, didn't work out. 'Just came up against a Cavan team that were really energetic, got stuck into the game. Like we've no complaint whatsoever. The three points maybe flattered us.' READ MORE Asked for positives, McStay took on the air of a forensic investigator at a particularly ugly crime scene. 'From our perspective we kept at it. Aidan got the last-minute goal. If there had been another minute or two who knows what would have happened. The teams were fairly out on their feet at that stage. Their job is going to be all the more acute now because we have to rise it to get ready for Tyrone. It's all going to be a tricky fixture.' Opposite number Raymond Galligan, meanwhile, stressed that he and his players kept the faith after a heavy defeat by Tyrone threatened to derail what was a solid spring's work in Division 2. 'We knew after the Tyrone game that we really didn't perform,' said the 2020 Ulster-winning captain. Mayo manager Kevin McStay and Raymond Galligan, the Cavan manager. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho G 'Between missing key players, weather conditions, ah look, there were a number of different reasons. But we knew that we were no bad team, we were a kick of a ball from Division 1. 'There was enough evidence there over the last three months that we could really compete, and so we put a massive emphasis on our athleticism and our fitness over the last five weeks because we knew we had to match them. 'We watched them and the one thing that stood out was that they had huge athleticism so we had to match that, and then we had to bring another layer of aggression, physicality and willingness to work, because that has to be the foundation of our team. To a man they showed that in spades.' Cavan will host Donegal – whose manager Jim McGuinness was an interested spectator at a sun-drenched MacHale Park – on the June bank holiday weekend buoyed by the win and their minors' progression to a first Ulster final in eight years. For McStay there are more questions than answers. 'There was two weeks in between (this game and the Connacht final loss to Galway). I don't really want to look back. We just weren't at the pitch of it today. We really have to get ourselves together for this challenge against Tyrone. We have a fortnight to do it. It's not a simple process. 'Morale swings up and down and that's the nature of sport. But our job is to get after them now and bring the troops together. The game is behind us now no matter what way we look at it.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Is Mayo vs Cavan on TV today? All the information you need to know ahead of today's All-Ireland SFC round one clash
Mayo face Cavan in the first game of Group One as the All-Ireland SFC series gets under way. With Donegal and Tyrone also in the group, today's game presents a great chance for both teams to get some points on the board. Mayo lost out to Galway in the Connacht final, but Kevin McStay's men will be determined to reach the knockout stages and have home advantage in their first outing. READ MORE: Irish hairdresser diagnosed with cancer after doctor notices lump during trim READ MORE: Kerry star David Clifford claims seven teams are capaable of winning the Sam Maguire in 2025 Cavan, meanwhile, lost out to the Red Hands by seven points in the Ulster SFC quarter-final some five weeks ago and lost three games in the All-Ireland series last year, including a 0-20 to 1-8 loss to Mayo in Castlebar. Raymond Galligan's men could be boosted by the availability of star attacker Paddy Lynch, who has been sidelined for 12 months with a cruciate injury. Here's all the information you need to know ahead of today's All-Ireland SFC round one clash . . Mayo vs Cavan is on Sunday, May 18 at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park Today's game starts at 2.30pm. Today's game is not being shown live. Highlights will be shown later tonight on the Sunday Game on RTÉ2 from 9.30pm. Mayo 1/6 Draw 12/1 Cavan 5/1 Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox
BBC News
01-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Cavan beat Down as Fermanagh draw and Antrim defeated
Down were plunged into further relegation danger as they suffered a damaging 1-20 to 1-18 defeat to Cavan at Kingspan Breffni in Division Division Three, Fermanagh fought back from five points down heading into stoppage time to snatch a 0-19 draw with Sligo in Enniskillen to move ahead of Antrim, who fell to a 0-22 to 1-17 loss away to evening's Ulster derby felt like a must-win game for Down following back-to-back defeats, leaving them only ahead of a pointless meanwhile, had put together consecutive wins to ease their relegation concerns. Raymond Galligan's side kept their noses in front throughout the first half despite Miceal Rooney's 15th-minute goal for the Mourne County.A converted mark from Gearoid McKiernan, after points from Cormac O'Reilly and Oisin Kiernan, meant the Breffnimen led 0-12 to 1-6 at the short second half was very much tit-for-tat with Down nudging ahead after a Pat Havern two-pointer was followed by a white flag raised courtesy of Daniel Padraig Faulkner netted on the 45th minute it was Cavan in front once more but the hosts wouldn't lead again until eight minutes from struck from beyond the arc at a vital time and after Down equalised once more a pair of frees from Oisin Brady squeezed Galligan's men over the Laverty's side stay seventh with two games remaining and could be all but relegated by the next time they take to the field at home to Westmeath before what looks to be a daunting trip to take on promotion-chasing Monaghan in can start looking up the table themselves with an outside chance of making it into the top two. Fermanagh and Sligo produced a back-and-forth opening period with a David Quinn two-pointer the difference at the break as Sligo led 0-8 to 0-7 in Brewster Yeats County reeled off six successive scores after the break to establish control. Niall Murphy, who hit 0-4 on the night, was among the six different scorers. Fionan O'Brien and Darragh McGurn replied for the Erne County but still they trailed by five as the clock ticked into added time. Step forth the talismanic Garvan Jones to boom over from beyond the arc before Sean Cassidy matched his effort and goalkeeper Sean McNally levelled from play in the dying are now just three points above the Division Three drop zone having played a game more than Sligo. Andy McEntee's side weren't helped by the returning Kavan Keenan being shown a red card early in the second half at a time when the Saffrons led Laois 1-11 to 0-13. Conor Hand, just back from suspension himself, netted an early goal which pushed Antrim into a 1-7 to 0-4 lead after 20 minutes. They were outscored 0-7 to 0-2 to the break though with the lively Niall Corbet doing most of the damage for the dismissal after the break was swiftly followed by a Laois scoring spree. Padraig Kirwan (2), Mark Barry (2) and Damon Larkin gave Justin McNulty's men a healthy advantage. Dermot McAleese's two-pointer ended a barren 16-minute spell for the Saffs just before the fourth official came out to raise his board but despite another two-pointer from Paddy McBride in the closing stages a comeback never seemed likely.
