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)
Presuming Leinster send a B team to SA. Bulls will be hoping they drop points and bulls will go full out for top spot with pretty much all home games now till the end …would like to see a fully loaded Leinster playing the bulls in the final in Pretoria ..that would be awesome to see….
@Stuart: I say they will send a B side with the Northampton game after the SA tour
@Stuart: I reckon Munster are more than a bit offended that the Bulls couldn’t be bothered playing their strongest team in CC quarter final. Hoping for a cracking match.
@sean o’farrell: send a good mix, start most of the first squad in game 1 and the so called B team in game 2 with a strong bench. Loads of game time and fantastic team building trip.
@chris mcdonnell: they may fly the A team back after the Lions game – I think they did that a few season ago – B team should still be stronger than the team we put out last year when we played the Bulls
This season could work for Leinster. Last year; the URC and Champions Cup Semi finals were all in May This year, URC doesn’t finish until June; so they won’t have to decide which semi final to priortise. They can go full strength for both. So if Leinster are going to do the double; this is the year to do it They won’t get as long a season next year, so managing knockouts of two completions with a trip to SA will be more difficult.