Ulster Minor Semi-Final Down 1-09 Cavan 6-10

Ulster Minor Championship
Semi-Final Down 1-09 Cavan 6-10

Down Minors were deservedly beaten by a much hungrier Cavan
team at Breffi Park on Thursday night. From the outset Down
lacked the fight they had shown two weeks earlier in their
quarterfinal round. Although missing a number of key players
through injury and holidays there was still enough talent
available to have given Cavan a much closer game. On the
night essential players just didn’t perform to the level
that they were capable of.

Cavan started the brighter and went into a five-point lead
before Down registered their first score through Emma O’Reilly.
Cavan then stepped up a gear and continued to bombard their
full forward with quality ball, which eventually paid dividends
when they scored the first of their three goals for the
half. Down failed to get a foothold in midfield, which left
their defence overrun for most of the half.

To their credit Louise Clarke and Catherine MacFerran did
try hard and were the pick of the defenders during the first
half, which saw Cavan reach the interval 3-9 to 0-1 ahead.
On resumption of the break a rejuvenated Down squad started
with a more determined attitude. Within ten minutes they
had registered 1-3 without reply, through Kyla Trainor and
Emma O’Reilly. Jenna Connell was also unlucky at this stage
when she was hauled to the ground after going straight through
on goal. However all penalty pleas were waived aside by
the referee while Connell was taken off with a wrist injury.
Cavan sensing the danger hit back again with a point, then
a goal of their own. With the imposing Colleen Flanagan
and again Catherine MacFerran getting through an abundance
of work in the defence Cavan still kept daylight between
the teams by scoring two further goals. Emma O’Reilly and
Shona Mulholland gave battling performances in the Down
attack but it was the inspirational Karen Gribben who really
caught the eye with her ball winning skills and strong running.

Cavan ran out eventual winners 6-10 to 1-9. The management
would like to thank all players for their commitment and
efforts throughout the year.

TEAM and SCORERS: R McCallum, C MacFerran, L Clarke, J Fitzsimmons,
J Flanagan, E Downey, O McFerran, K Trainor (1-2), G Gibney,
E O’Reilly (0-4), L Cunningham (0-1), S Mulholland, J Branagan,
J Connell (0-1), A Murdock. Subs used: K Gribben (0-1),
O McKibben, F Quinn, J Fegan and M McPolin

www.DownGAA.net
diarmuid.cahill@downgaa.net