Round-up: Dalata Hotel Group Ulster U20 Championship action
Donegal U20 and senior star Finnbarr Roarty. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Dalata Hotel Group Ulster U20 Football Championship
Cavan 1-14 Tyrone 0-15
Donegal 1-9 Monaghan 0-8
Fermanagh 2-11 Antrim 2-7
Armagh 0-19 Down 1-12
Cavan rose to the challenge magnificently at Kingspan Breffni as they shocked All-Ireland champions Tyrone with a narrow, but deserved win in the Dalata Hotel Group Ulster U20 Football Championship.
A storming second half from the home side while playing into the wind got them off the mark in the round robin series.
Wing back Ben Tully shot the home side in front, but a Shea McDermott double had the Red Hands in front. Cavan were level by the end of the opening quarter as midfielder Joe Dugdale swung over a magnificent score from wide on the right.
Cavan, with the wind in their backs, pressed strongly, going back in front through Darragh Noonan, but senior panellist Conor O’Neill worked hard to turn the game in Tyrone’s favour, as they went three clear with a McDermott two-pointer and a couple of frees.
Jack Shane McCabe’s 25th minute opportunist goal was followed by a Jack Dobson two-pointer, and in the space of a minute, the home side were back in front.
They led by 1-5 to 0-7 at the interval, but McDermott’s second two-point free of the evening had the Red Hands level, before the Breffni lads fired over 0-4 in the space of three minutes, including a two-point free from goalkeeper Cian McConnell.
Joe Dugdale powered the Breffni challenge from the engine-room, and a couple of McCabe scores had them five clear going into the closing 10 minutes.
Donegal picked up their second win of the series traveling to Castlbalyney, where they defeated Monaghan by 1-9 to 0-8 in a low-scoring encounter.
Kevin Muldoon drilled home an early goal to give Donegal a boost, but they struggled to break down a well organised home defence.
Jamie Mooney and Matthew Finn were on target for Monaghan, with Muldoon and Eoghan Scott adding points for Donegal, who led by 1-3 to 0-4 at the break.
Senior star Finbarr Roarty extended the advantage, and while the home side hit back with scores from Tom Doherty, Sean O’Connell and Finn, Thomas Lenehan hit the target for the visitors as they finished strongly.
Fermanagh got off the mark in their second outing, defeating Antrim by 2-11 to 2-7 at Tempo.
Corey Walsh broke through for an early Antrim goal, but Mattie McDermott’s tenth minute strike regained control or the Erne lads, and they led by 1-7 to 1-5 at the break.
McDermott was the main man up front for the Erne county, with a couple of well taken scores, and it was Daire Chamman who sealed it with a superbly executed goal.
Armagh defeated Down by 0-19 to 1-12 at Pairc Esler to make an impressive start to their challenge.
Eoghan Travers sent over an early two-pointer for the Mourne side, but it was Armagh who carried the greater attacking threat.
Points from Eoin Duffy, Diarmuid O’Rourke, Fergal Boylan and Conal Wilson kept them in front, with Travers and Luke Quinn responding for the home side.
Armagh led by 0-12 to 0-6 at the halfway stage, and continued to hit the target through O’Rourke and Boylan.
A Travers goal gave Down some consolation, but they never looked like turning this one around.
