LAST UPDATE | 31 Oct 2020
CAVAN MANAGER MICKEY Graham put it best when he said that while there were no fans present in Clones, there would have been a fair few television sets shipping serious abuse around the county as his team pulled off an astonishing comeback to dump neighbours Monaghan out of Ulster.
This game was practically bi-polar with the number of moodswings present. Monaghan hit nine points to Cavan’s one in response in the first half to take control, Cavan putting together a run of six unanswered points to force extra-time.
Conor McManus missed what would be a routine free for him at the death, and while Rory Beggan looked to bring the game to penalties with a booming free at the end of extra-time, there was still time for Cavan to gain a 55-metre free at the very death that their own goalkeeper Raymond Galligan ambled up and boomed over the black spot to deny them the chance.
Even in extra time Monaghan appeared the more likely to secure the win when substitutes Colin Walshe and Andrew Woods converted chances, but the game flipped once again when Thomas Galligan took delivery of a raking pass, got inside Ryan Wylie and squared to Martin Reilly to palm home.
Monaghan equalised with a Shane Carey mark, Chris Conroy put Cavan back in front with a ’45′, Rory Beggan restored parity again with a long free kick.
And finally, there was Galligan at the death. Condemning Monaghan to a winter of soul-searching and putting his own team into a quarter-final against Antrim in Kingspan Breffni next weekend.
Scorers for Monaghan: C McManus 1-4, 2f, M Bannigan 0-2, K Duffy, D Ward, F Kelly, K Hughes, R McAnespie, S O’Hanlon, C McCarthy, A Woods, C Walshe 0-1 each, S Carey 0-1mark, R Beggan 0-1f
Scorers for Cavan: M Reilly 1-1, G McKiernan 0-3, O Pierson 1-0, S Smith, L Fortune 0-2 each, G Smith, J Smith, O Kiernan, T Galligan 0-1 each, N Murray 0-1mark, C Conroy 0-1 ’45′, R Galligan 0-1f
MONAGHAN
1. Rory Beggan (Scotstown)
2. Kieran Duffy (Latton)
3. Conor Boyle (Clontibret)
4. Ryan Wylie (Ballybay)
5. Dessie Ward (Ballybay)
6. Fintan Kelly (Clones)
7. Karl O’Connell (Tyholland)
8. Darren Hughes (Scotstown)
9. Kieran Hughes (Scotstown)
10. Ryan McAnespie (Emyvale)
11. Michael Bannigan (Aughnamullen)
19. Drew Wylie (Ballybay)
13. Stephen O’Hanlon (Carrickmacross)
14. Conor McCarthy (Scotstown)
15. Conor McManus (Clontibret)
Subs:
D Malone for D Wylie (29m), S Carey for McCarthy (64m), N Kearns for O’Hanlon (65m), C McGuinness for K Hughes (73m), C Walshe for Bannigan (ET, 1m), A Woods for Kelly (ET, 8m), C McCarthy for O’Connell (ET 18m)
CAVAN
1. Raymond Galligan (Lacken)
2. Jason McLoughlin (Shannon Gaels)
3. Killian Clarke (Shercock)
4. Killian Brady (Mullahoran)
5. Gerard Smith (Lavey)
6. Ciaran Brady (Arva)
7. Luke Fortune (Cavan Gaels)
8. James Smith (Crosserlough)
9. Padraig Faulkner (Kingscourt)
10. Martin Reilly (Killygarry)
11. Gearoid McKiernan (Cavan Gaels)
12. Oisin Kiernan (Castlerahan)
13. Oisin Pierson (Gowna)
21. Stephen Smith (Crosserlough)
15. Cormac O’Reilly (Mullahoran)
Subs:
23. Thomas Galligan (Lacken) for J Smith (HT)
17. Niall Murray (Cavan Gaels) for Pierson (42m)
26. Thomas Edward Donoghue for O’Reilly (65m)
14. Chris Conroy (Lavey) for C Brady (55m)
19. Paul Graham for K Brady (60m)
24. E Doughty for Murray (ET)
20. O Brady for S Smith (ET, HT)
18. C Timoney for McLoughlin (ET, 20m)
17. N Murray for Donoghue (ET 21m)
Referee: Ciaran Brannagan (Down)
I just don’t get this. All the South Africans were back playing for their clubs the week after playing for their country. Cian Prendergast, the Connacht captain mind, didn’t feature at all. Conor Murray the same in Munster. Just wondering if our Irish panel of 45 players are a bit precious ?
@Pat Cooney: Ireland played a 4 games. South Africa only had to play 3. So a lot of there players had all of last week off and they can also afford to do as they have a lot better strength in depth than us having used something like 52 players in total in the last couple of months. Where as Bealham and Hansen started in every game this Autumn Int.
@Harry O’ Callaghan: on the other hand though, South Africa were also coming off the Rugby Championship.
@teuO6nLS: No, they used a lot of new players throughout that tournament and it was spaced out. We haven’t used anywhere close to 52 players this year and last year. They have the luxury of resting their big game players like Etzebeth, Kolisi, Pollard, Kriel, Kolbe, Le Roux because they have tow or three players practically as good in that position. We don’t unfortunately. We rely on keeping momentum with a core player group of around 25. Prendergast should definitely play for Connacht as he’s only played 15th a of rugby in the last 4 weeks. Bealham, Aki and Hansen definitely deserve a rest especially Bealham as his mental fatigue was obviously showing when he knocked the ball on 3 times and gave away a penalty in the opening quarter against Australia.
@Pat Cooney: They weren’t released back to their clubs. At least they’ve got plenty of rugby under their belts. Izzy is about to turn 25, has the grand total of 11 starts for Ulster and was also sat on his hole.
Makes sense, i think the IRFU would probably want to rest other players like Doris, VDF and Porter
@Owen ODonoghue: it’ll be left up to the clubs. Play them now but rest them over Xmas or rest them now but play them over Xmas. It’s been like that the past two years that they have to get two consecutive weeks off