Encouraging performances in the new Aghyaran tournament (the Devine Cup) and the Hastings Cup suggested that Cavan's U21s were capable of compiling a good championship run in 2006. However, the Breffni Blues crashed out of Ulster at the first (preliminary round) hurdle when losing by a point to Armagh at Kingspan/Breffni Park on Saturday March 11. Cavan went into the 2006 Ulster U21 football championship with high hopes, but their aspirations went up in smoke on Saturday 11th March at Kingspan/Breffni Park when they went under to visiting Armagh by a single point in the preliminary round - 0-10 to 0-9. While it was only a narrow defeat it was also a thoroughly disappointing one. In preparation for the championship, the Cavan side had played a number of challenge games and came through them successfully, including a magnificent Devine Cup semi-final victory over Tyrone in the fledgling Devine Cup. In the end, though, it all counted for nothing. Under the management team of Paddy McNamee, Damien Cassidy and Martin McElkennon, Cavan seemed to have a settled side, and with home advantage were expected to overcome the Orchard lads. They started the opening half in impressive fashion, leading at the interval by 0-7 to 0-3 and looked to be on their way to success. Tellingly, however, the interval lead should have been much greater than four points. When the hosts extended their advantage with an Anton Reilly strike in the opening minutes of the second half, things were looking good, with no indication of the bewildering slip-up that was to come. Armagh, to their credit, battled back into contention and had levelled by the start of the final quarter. Michael O'Rourke's equalising score gave the Orchard County great confidence and it was no surprise when they took the lead with another O'Rourke point late in the day. There was real tension in the air now, with both sides under immense pressure. However, when Cavan's Paul Brady tied the scoring in the dying minutes, extra time appeared to be on the cards. Both sides had chances to win the game but it was Armagh who eventually took the verdict with Peadar Toal's superb long-range winning point four minutes from the end. In a frantic denouement, the home side were reduced to 14 men when senior county midfielder Lorcan Mulvey - who had just come into the action - received a straight red card. The Blues and their management and supporters were left bitterly disappointed as Armagh held on for a narrow win. In hindsight, Cavan will look back ruefully on this match and the chances they kicked away, especially in the opening half. They weren't ruthless enough in that opening period when dominating exchanges, and in the end they have only themselves to blame for their surprise elimination. Thus, Armagh went on to face neighbours and defending All-Ireland champions Down at the quarter-final stage of the provincial competition, while Cavan were left licking their wounds after yet another inexplicable defeat suffered by a Breffni side on home turf. Manager Paddy McNamee was unable to mask his disappointment afterwards: "I feel that the loss of the experienced Lorcan Mulvey at midfield, who was injured, had a big bearing on the outcome and we had no-one with the same experience capable of filling the position. In fact, both midfielders including Paul Brady, had been carrying injuries recently. It was a game we should have won but, alas, we just were not ruthless enough on the day." Thus, despite all the promise shown by the Class of '06, Cavan still have only two Ulster U21 championships to their credit, garnered in 1986 and '98. Cavan: Charlie Halligan; Emmet Daly, Pauric Reilly, Dermot Sheridan; Gary Ferncombe, Dermot McGlade, Declan McCabe; James Fitzsimons, Paul Brady (0-2); Cian Mackey (0-3), Peter Monaghan, Alan Clarke; Ronan Flanagan (0-1), Anton Reilly (0-3), Aaron Duignan. Subs: Cormac Geoghegan, Mark McGovern, John McCabe, Lorcan Mulvey Pre-season, Cavan were in good form as they reached two finals. They disposed of Westmeath (0-8 to 1-4) at The Downs in Mullingar before losing to Longford (0-11 to 0-7) under lights in Longford in early January, but still qualified for the final of the Hastings Cup competition - and a second meeting with Longford inside a week. The performance against Longford the first day was pleasing as Cavan were depleted but still played with vigour and dash. Roscommon's withdrawal from the competition meant that Cavan and Longford would have to meet again, in the final. And this time, the Breffni boys fared even better. The team that beat Westmeath was: Charlie Halligan; Cillian Reilly, Ciaran Shiels, Enda McCormack; Keith McCabe, Finbar Jordan, Mark Johnston; Lorcan Mulvey, Paul Brady; Cian Mackey, Alan Clarke, Kevin Brady; John McCabe, Peter Monaghan, Aaron Duignan. Subs: Gary Ferncombe, Declan McCabe, Alan O'Riordan, Padraig Smith. The following were on duty against Longford the first day: Charlie Halligan; Darren Reilly, Cormac Geoghegan, Stephen Jordan; Gary Ferncombe, Dermot Sheridan, Sean Magee; Conor Lyons, Paraic Smith; Mark McGovern (0-1), James Fitzsimons (0-1), Liam Duignan; Alan Clarke, Peter Monaghan (0-2), Aaron Duignan (0-3). Subs: Emmet Daly, Killian Reilly, Alan O'Riordan. The final of the 2006 Hastings Cup U21 football competition took place in Michael Fay Park, Longford on Friday 13th January, with an 8.00 pm throw-in. As holders, the hosts went into the game as favourites after defeating Westmeath and Cavan to reach the decider. In the final at the same venue as the first meeting of these counties, Cavan and Longford served up a feast of top-class football, with the home side winning out by a narrow one-point margin, 1-11 to 0-13. Despite the heavy conditions of the pitch, both sides adapted well and there was little between two well matched sides, with the outcome decided in the closing minutes. Indeed, going into the last five minutes, the teams were level and it looked like a replay was inevitable. Cavan had three opportunities to win the game in those closing minutes but were off target on all three occasions before the midlanders struck a deciding free late on. Cavan - 2006 Hastings Cup finalists: Charlie Halligan (Cavan Gaels); Cillian Reilly (Killeshandra), Ciaran Shiels (Mullahoran), Ronan Flanagan (Castlerahan); Dermot Sheridan (Mullahoran), Finbar Jordan (Lavey), Declan McCabe (Crosserlough); Lorcan Mulvey (Butlersbridge), Paul Brady (Castlerahan) 0-1; Cian Mackey (Castlerahan) 0-4, four frees, Alan Clarke (Kingscourt), Alan O'Riordan (Cavan Gaels); John McCabe (Munterconnacht) 0-1, Peter Monaghan (Ramor Utd) (0-1), Aaron Duignan (Kildallan). Subs - Paraic Smith (Castlerahan), Dermot McGlade (Arva), Emmet Daly (Ramor Utd), Cormac Geoghegan (Cornafean), Sean McGee (Shercock) Championship preparations also saw Cavan beat Tyrone by 1-12 to 0-10 in the semi-final of the Devine Cup at Michael Dolan Memorial Park in Aghyaran on February 18. Cian Mackey opened the scoring for Cavan but Tyrone were level in the fifth minute thanks to a point from senior panellist Mickey Murphy. Alan Clarke and James Fitzsimons edged Cavan two ahead but by the end of the opening quarter it was all square once more after attacking half-back Martin Murray and midfielder Marc Cunningham had split the Cavan posts. In the 16th minute, Cavan struck for the only goal of the game to claim an advantage they were never to relinquish, Alan Clarke finishing to the net past keeper Jonathan Curran. Cian Mackey added a point from a free and, even though Martin Murray replied at the other end for the Red Hands, it was Cavan who ended the opening period on a high. Mackey, John McCabe and Aaron Duignan all tagged on points to leave the visitors with a healthy 1-7 to 0-4 advantage at the interval. John McCabe increased Cavan's lead shortly after the resumption and Cavan held out for a morale-boosting victory. They were due to face Derry in the decider on March 4th but, due to inclement weather, the decider never took place. Cavan: Charlie Halligan; Cormac Geoghegan, Ciaran Shields, Dermot Sheridan; Declan McCabe, Dermot McGlade, Gary Ferncombe; Paul Brady, James Fitzsimons; Cian Mackey, Peter Monaghan, Alan Clarke; John McCabe, Anton O'Reilly, Aaron Duignan. Subs: Peter McGinnity, Lorcan Mulvey Tweet

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