In May, Cavan hurling received a timely shot in the arm when the county minor team shocked Monaghan in the first round of the Ulster Minor Hurling Championship at Kingspan Breffni Park with a 3-6 to 1-7 victory.

On the back of a torrid NHL season for the county seniors, this was a sterling show to gladden the hearts of the small but passionate Cavan hurling fraternity.
In chiselling out what was a thoroughly deserved victory, Cavan lost a lot of the battles but, crucially, won the war in front of a decent sized and vocal home support. The squad's reward for springing the mother and father of surprises this year is a second round meeting with an Armagh side who pummelled Fermanagh in their corresponding championship opener.

The Pat Halpin-managed Cavan squad went into the game as raging hot underdogs but tore up the script with a tremendously gutsy and determined display. Seldom before at headquarters has a Cavan team - in any code - played with such fire in their bellies and while Monaghan were arguably the more skilled crew, the hosts' true grit and sheer will-to-win proved an unbeatable cocktail on the day.

In perfect conditions, save a greasy sward, all 17 players used by the Cavan team-management played their part in engineering a result which may just have given Cavan hurling the kiss of life.
The game was a nip and tuck affair throughout with Neasan Neary and Monaghan's Fergal Rafter (free) exchanging points to help leave the sides deadlocked by 0-3 apiece after 17 minutes.

Earlier, the visitors had created the first goal-scoring opportunity by Niall Garland kicked the sliotar well wide of the Cavan goal in the 9th minute, albeit from an acute angle. Cavan hit the jackpot eighteen minutes later when John Carney caught the puck-out, drove forward and parted to James Galligan who clinically goaled to give his side a 1-3 to 0-5 lead.
One minute later, Fiachra Hughes was fouled and Adam Mulcahy converted the subsequent free to tighten the screw.Monaghan enjoyed the lion's share of possession over the course of the hour-plus and while the Cavan goal lived a charmed life at times, the team's rearguard was rock-solid for the most part.

Indeed, it was backs-to-the wall stuff for the Cavan defenders for most of the second half as Monaghan laboured to eat into Cavan's 1-4 to 0-5 interval lead. Another goal by the strapping Galligan (34th) added to Monaghan's woes as two goals, 2-5 to 0-5, now separated the sides.

Monaghan played a slow-to-the-boil type game and they got a lift four minutes later when Niall Garland long range effort found the Cavan net. The Oriel county continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession in the final ten minutes but a 48th minute goal from substitute Conor Crowe - after an inviting delivery by Aiden McFarlane - upped the ante in a big way.
The Cavan defence performed heroics in the dregs of the game while at the other end of the field, Monaghan 'keeper Murphy pulled off a brilliant save to deny Kevin Reilly after the latter received a hand pass from John Carney. It was all hands to the pump for Cavan in the dying minutes as Monaghan attempted to find the net from four successive frees which were blocked in turn by the mass ranks of the home defence.

Monaghan's Damien Moore head did score a brilliant point three minutes from time but it was a score that was of cosmetic significance only as by that stage, Cavan were home and hosed.
Cavan (Ulster MHC v Monaghan): Oran Duffy (Woodford Gaels); Gary Cronin (St. Felim's), Niall Farrell (Woodford Gaels), Killian Galligan (St. Felim's); Aiden McFarlane (Ballymachugh), James Brennan (Mullahoran), Kevin Reilly (Mullahoran); Gregory McGovern (Woodford Gaels), Anthony Baxter (Ballymachugh); John Carney (Cootehill Celtic), Adam Mulcahy (Mullahoran, 0-3, all frees), Neasan Neary (Woodford Gaels 0-2, one free); Fiachra Hughes (Cootehill Celtic), James Galligan (St. Felim's 2-0), Joseph Kelly (Cootehill Celtic 0-1). Subs: Stephen Harten (Ballymachugh) for F Hughes (half-time); Conor Crowe (Woodford Gaels 1-0) for J Kelly (half-time).

While Cavan would go on to lose heavy to Armagh in the next round, team selector Seamus Hughes lauded the efforts of the players after their historic win over the Farney County.
"I can't praise our lads enough for their display against Monaghan. I know this sounds like a cliché but they showed commitment and determination way beyond their years and experience. This is a very young panel of players but the management had great faith in their ability to hurl and their desire to play hurling for Cavan," stated Hughes.

"We knew Monaghan were prepared for this match as they had played in the Ulster Hurling league and their Minor Championship final had been played the previous weekend. So we asked our players to start the match at as high an intensity as possible. Cavan had to contest every sliotar, track every man and play our own game at speed with accurate passing and scores. We had to tackle hard but fair as Monaghan had a quality free-taker."

"Our players did everything we asked of them and more," hr added From our goalkeeper to our full forward line couldn't have given more during the match. The players in the middle area with senior experience were a great influence but every player, most whom had never played an inter-county championship, were excellent. Every man on the panel should feel very proud in the part they played in this performance and victory."
Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come. Tweet

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