Tyrone almost come a cropper against Cavan
Less than 24 hours after Galway produced the first real upset of the championship, Cavan threatened to do likewise with the aerial threat of two-goal merchant David Givney almost pulling Tyrone’s Ulster title ambitions assunder in atrocious weather conditions at Clones.
Tyrone thought they had weathered the storm, in every sense, when they pulled three points clear as an absorbing provincial semi-final headed into injury time.
Yet there was still time for more twist in a game that saw both teams wrestle for periods of dominance and momentum, Cian Mackey’s floated ball into the square being flicked into the net by Givney in the 71st minute.
Four minutes of stoppage time had been signalled and there was still time for Tyrone to snatch it, but they missed two good chances to reach a first Ulster final since 2010. Darren McCurry’s ‘45’ trailed wide before Niall Sludden tamely dropped a shot into the goalkeeper’s hands from close range.
While Tyrone probably shaded it, and nailed 16 scores to Cavan’s 10, a draw was a deserved outcome for the Breffni men who played with great heart, belief and intensity as they went in search of a first Ulster final appearance since 2001.
The teams will return to St Tiernach’s Park on July 3, and both managers know what they need to address.
Cavan went 22 minutes in each half without scoring and will have to up their conversion rate to live with Tyrone next time – because Mickey Harte will shut the back door after leaking three goals in the championship for only the third time on his watch.
On both those occasions against Down in 2003 and 2014 his team won the replay easily and Cavan can’t expect Givney, who scored two goals and made the other for Conor Moynagh on the stroke of half time, to be allowed to repeat the dose against Harte’s defence in a fortnight’s time.
Cavan started like they meant business and got a dream start through Givney’s first goal in the sixth minute. Martin Reilly’s effort was blocked but Givney followed in the shot and tapped the rebound into the net. Fergal Flanagan, who had a difficult afternoon against Tyrone’s brilliant marksman Ronan O’Neill, scored from distance to put the underdogs 1-1 up with Tyrone still stuck in the starting blocks.
Tyrone’s counter-attacks were slow and ponderous and the route one high ball into Sean Cavanagh was easily mopped up by the Cavan defence. The Red Hands were living off scraps and a long-range point from Cathal McShane and another from Connor McAliskey was brief respite from Cavan’s strong opening spell.
Terry Hyland’s side, bristling with belief, replied strongly and Tomas Corr and Cian Mackey restored their four-point lead.
Mackey’s point, however, proved their last score until a contentious second goal in first-half stoppage time from Conor Moynagh. In the intervening 22 minutes, Tyrone scored six points in a row as they began to warm to their task.
A rare mistake in Cavan’s defence allowed Ronan O’Neill to score his first point and he followed it up with two frees and another point from play before the break.
Peter Harte and Colm Cavanagh also scored, the latter putting Tyrone ahead for the first time at 0-7 to 1-3 in the 32nd minute.
Tyrone looked set to take a half-time lead into the dressing-room when O’Neill’s point stretched their advantage to two, but Cavan struck at the perfect time in the last action of the half. Raymond Galligan’s 60 metre free dropped short and was flicked on by Givney and the ricochet was bundled in by Conor Moynagh, despite Colm Cavanagh and Cathal McCarron’s best efforts to clear their lines.
Referee David Gough at first waved play on, but heeded his umpire’s assertion that the ball had crossed the line, giving Cavan a 2-3 to 0-8 half time lead.
Donnelly brothers Mattie and Ritchie both scored after the restart to nudge Tyrone ahead again, but Cavan were in no mood to surrender the initiative and committed way more bodies forward than in the first half.
Trailing 2-3 to 0-10, Cavan reeled off the next four points through Seanie Johnston (free), Raymond Galligan’s ‘45’ and points from Niall Murray and the excellent Dara McVeety.
Tyrone then took over, Cavan again failing to score for 22 minutes as their opponents hit six points in a row.
Sub Padraig McNulty should have made it game, set and match by finishing Ronan O’Neill’s dreamboat pass to the net but hit his shot straight at Galligan, yet nobody was complaining afterwards about having to do it all over again.
D Givney (2-0), C Moynagh (1-0), F Flanagan, N Murray, T Corr, D McVeety, C Mackey (0-1 each), S Johnston (1f), R Galligan (1, ‘45’),
R O’Neill (0-5, 3f), C McAliskey, M Donnelly (0-2 each), N Sludden, P Harte, C Cavanagh, C McShane, R Donnelly, S Cavanagh (0-1 each), D McCurry (1, 45’).
R Galligan; C Brady, K Clarke, R Dunne; F Flanagan, C Moynagh, N Murray; T Corr, J McEnroe; D McVeety, G McKiernan, M Reilly; D Givney, C Mackey, S Johnston.
E Keating for Johnston (59), C Brady for K Brady (65), P Faulkner for K Clarke (65), J Brady for Moynagh (67), G Smith for McEnroe (70).
M O’Neill; A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; T McCann, N Sludden, P Harte; C Cavanagh, M Donnelly; C McShane, M Bradley, R Donnelly; C McAliskey, S Cavanagh, R O’Neill.
R Brennan for Bradley (HT), C Meyler for McShane (42), D McCurry for R Donnelly (50), P McNulty for McAliskey (65).
David Gough (Meath).
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