Not for the first time over the last 28 years, Cavan's minor footballers came close but not close enough in the Ulster MFC. In 2002 it was Derry's turn to play spoilsport. Ever since 1974 when the last title was secured, the failure of successive Cavan teams to win the Ulster Minor Football Championship has been a source of major frustration and disappointment to countless mentors, officials and supporters. In short, the lack of success by the minors has been a major bone of contention among the Breffni Blues for far too long. Sadly, the county's angst was added to in 2002 when the cream of the crop at under 18 level once again flattered to deceive in trying to add to the '74 title triumph. And yet with former 1974 star Tony Brady at the helm, it seemed at the outset that the omens were good. With a highly-rated group of players on board, all the back-up structures in place, excellent preparation and fitness levels, things looked very promising at the start of the season. Indeed, Cavan's superb opening Ulster Minor League win in mid-March over would-be championship opponents Donegal at wintry Kingscourt added to the notion that the blues were on the cusp of casting the monkey off their backs. There were many things to be taken from Cavan's 1-13 to 0-7 win over their Donegal opponents in the league game even if both sides fielded somewhat weakened sides. In a game in which the homesters were always in control, Cavan showed the kind of form that saw them recording a hat-trick of victories in the O'Donoghue Shield (Longford-based tournament). Their play was sharp, incisive and incorporated some textbook finishing in front of goal. Cavan did most of their best work in the opening half with a fine goal by Cavan Gaels starlet Michael Cooke after just nine minutes providing a useful platform for the hosts to deny Donegal any window of opportunity thereafter. The midfielder's major gave Cavan the confidence to go on and engineer a useful 1-6 to 0-4 lead at the interval. Even though Cavan lost Shane Cole just minutes after the restart for a straight red card offence, Donegal failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage and, instead, it was Cavan who showed the greater efficiency all around the pitch with well-taken points by Sean Johnston (Cavan Gaels) and Colin Gumley (Ballinagh) helping to consolidate Cavan's lead right to the death. And then came the meeting with would-be All-Ireland kingpins Derry. It was to be a long, eventful but ultimately disappointing trip north for Brady's crew. Once again the side was weakened by withdrawals due to Cavan's Under 21 championship clash with Armagh. However the Breffni lads could count themselves unfortunate not to have at least garnered a draw from the fixture. As things transpired, the home side led from pillar to post, going ahead by two points in as many minutes before David Sheridan pointed for Cavan. It was nip and tuck all the way thereafter but a hat-trick of points by the Oak Leafers between the 23rd and 25th minutes put Cavan under renewed pressure. The visitors stuck to their task though and a fine point from Ballinagh's Anthony Gaynor boosted Cavan morale. Spirits in the Cavan camp were lifted even more just on the stroke of half time when Damien McInerney broke up a Derry attack, played a long ball into Anthony Gaynor who then fed Kevin McConnell on the run. McConnell then passed to Colin Gumley whose shot ricocheted back off the crossbar only for Gowna's Ciaran Fitzpatrick to collect and finish to the Derry net to leave Cavan 1-5 to 0-6 to the good at the interval. Cavan immediately came under pressure on the restart though and within six minutes Derry had rifled home a goal to put the cat among the pigeons. It was helter-skelter stuff from then onwards with Cavan unlucky not to have grabbed a second goal when Colin Gumley fired a shot low across the face of the goal but none of his team-mates could get a touch. However, Cavan were made to pay for their inability to make the most of their chances and Derry finished the strongest, rifling over three unanswered points to go four in front. The visitors pressed forward, desperately looking for a goal to get them out of jail. Unfortunately a late point from Colin Gumley was all the blues could manage, leaving Derry 1-11 to 1-8 winners. Cavan's next game in the Ulster Minor League saw them host neighbours Fermanagh in an entertaining affair at Breffni Park in early April. In another all-round good team performance by Tony Brady's charges, it was a clinically-executed goal nine minutes from time by Ballinagh's Colin Gumley which did most to propel the homesters to a 1-10 to 0-6 victory. In getting their bid for league honours back on track, Cavan played some of their best football of the season and, in the process, helped assuage some of the disappointment which accompanied the defeat to Derry. However the home side secured their second win in the competition the hard way after allowing the Ernesiders to chisel out a 0-5 to 0-1 lead at the interval. However within one minute of the restart, Colin Gumley pointed a free and then a fine solo point from Niall Madden plus a typically opportunistic effort from Colin Gumley left just the minimum separating the sides with eight minutes played. Thereafter an inspirational point by Mark McKeever in the 11th minute levelled matters and Cavan never really let their opponents come off the ropes from there to the finish. Indeed, Fermanagh's one and only point of the second half came in the 48th minute. Three minutes later though it was curtains for the green and whites when Colin Gumley poached a goal to catapult his side on the path to victory. But that was that as far as the team's league campaign was concerned - the single defeat to their Derry counterparts scuppering the chances of clinching the league crown. But the preparations for the championship continued unabated nevertheless with the team proceeding to entertain Westmeath in late April in a challenge match in the well-appointed Mountnugent venue. After a cracking contest, Cavan - minus their Moyne Community School contingent - were forced to give way by 2-8 to 2-12. Cavan fell behind by 0-6 to 2-4 by half-time and were again slow off the blocks on the restart when conceding four points on the trot. However, the Brady bunch fought back strongly and goals in the 42nd and 47th minutes put them within three points of their opponents. Sadly that was as good as it got for Cavan and Westmeath went on to secure their advantage with another point minutes from the close of play. Early May and Cavan recorded a morale-boosting 0-17 to 0-12 win over Dublin in a challenge game at Breffni Park. Cavan led by 0-10 to 0-8 at half-time and were value for their eventual five point win. Ahead of the Donegal championship game, manager Brady was suitably optimistic: "We are expecting a competitive and challenging game from Donegal but are confident the Cavan side will rise to the challenge. "The Cavan players have worked hard in training and in their preparations over the season and if they have the belief in their own ability and play to their potential they can progress in the competition. Donegal will have a strong team on duty though and they will have to be respected." And in the immediate aftermath of his side's subsequent 0-12 to 0-8 victory over Donegal at Breffni Park, manager Brady had every reason to be happy with his team's form. Cavan produced a wholehearted display against a Donegal side which contained no fewer than 12 of the team featuring on the county vocationals school team which won the All-Ireland title. In perfect conditions, Cavan caught the mood of the occasion immediately and were four points ahead inside the opening nine minutes, with man of the match Mark McKeever (Gowna) notching three of them with the other one being scored by midfielder Sean Brady, son of manager Tony. Donegal very much came back into it though as the first half progressed but Cavan held their own and two fine scores from McKeever and Shane Cole in the latter stages of the half saw the host side going in at the break in front by 0-8 to 0-5. Thereafter it was nip and tuck but Cavan had reason to thank their 'keeper Patrick Galligan on two occasions for two goal-saving blocks and a Mark McKeever free 12 minutes from time which handed Cavan a comfortable four point lead they were more than thankful for as Donegal pressed hard in the dying minutes to save the day. Next up was Down in a quarter-final tie played at Ballybay on June 2nd. Cavan always looked the more accomplished side over the hour and led by 1-6 to 0-7 at the interval with captain Sean Brady leading the way by striking a peach of a goal in the 16th minute which helped open up a four point lead for his side. Cavan proceeded to increase their lead to seven points but Down finished the half strongly and scored a number of points which left just two points separating the sides at the break. In the early minutes of the second half, the Mourne county drew level but the Breffni Blues went up a gear to hit four unanswered points between the 39th and 46th minutes - highlighted by a 60 metre effort from Gowna's Paddy Brady - to regain control of the match. Down kept in touch with a fine point in the 51st minute but then a beautifully taken goal by Cavan Gaels attacker Sean Johnston in the 56th minute served to seal Cavan's passage through, on foot of a 2-13 to 0-10 scoreline, to a semi-final meeting with competition favourites Derry. Bidding to reach their first Ulster MFC final since 1988, Cavan travelled to Brewster Park, Enniskillen at the tail end of June as much in confidence as in hope and with three Under 21 stars, Paddy Brady and Mark McKeever plus Sean Brady, included in the line-up, Derry had every right to respect the blues' challenge. There was just one change from the side which downed Down with Keith Soden (Ramor Utd) coming in at left-half forward for Gowna's Ciaran Fitzpatrick who was ruled out with a back problem. Cavan got off to a great start to lead by 0-2 to 0-0 in the opening minutes thanks to efforts by Sean Brady and Mark McKeever. However Cavan allowed their opponents grab the initiative and over the course of the next ten minutes Derry dominated to go into a 0-5 to 0-2 lead. The blues eventually regained their composure and a Sean Johnston free in the 12th minute helped steady the ship. The loss subsequently through injury of influential midfielder Paddy Brady though was a cruel blow even if the Breffni Blues found themselves trailing by 0-6 to 0-7 at the interval. The Cavan team-management introduced John McCabe and Kevin McConnell on the restart and switched Niall Madden into midfield from the half-forward line in an attempt to create that extra bit of spark in the team. Unfortunately it was the would-be All-Ireland champions though who began the second half in the more forceful fashion and after just eight minutes they had stretched their lead to four points, 0-10 to 0-6. Cavan hung in there though but entering the final 13 minutes they were still trailing by 0-7 to 0-12. Then two points from Sean Johnston reduced the margin even further. However three wides in as many minutes followed for Cavan. It ultimately proved disastrous for Brady's bunch. Derry were allowed squirm their way off the hook to ease their way into the provincial final, 0-14 to 0-10 winners. The old refrain of 'what's another year' could almost be heard wafting its way down from among the Cavan fans on the terraces as the players trooped off. However with quality under 16 players coming through from Fr. Manning Cup level, 2003 may indeed promise better tidings for Cavan as they bid to erase the ghost of '74. For the record, the following is the Cavan team, subs and scorers, that featured in the 2002 Ulster MFC semi-final clash against Derry; Patrick Galligan (Killygarry); Pauric Cahill (Killygarry), Ronan Fitzsimons (Ramor Utd), Damien McInerney (Ballinagh); Dermot McGlade (Arva), Anthony Gaynor (Ballinagh), Michael Cooke (Cavan Gaels); Sean Brady (Castlerahan, 0-2), Paddy Brady (Gowna); Keith Soden (Ramor Utd), Shane Cole (Ramor Utd), Niall Madden (Gowna); Colin Gumley (Ballinagh), Sean Johnston (Cavan Gaels, 0-6), Mark McKeever (Gowna, 0-2). Subs; John McCabe for Paddy Brady; Kevin McConnell for Shane Cole; Dane Smith for Michael Cooke; Ciaran Fitzpatrick for Colin Gumley. Tweet

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