Cavan 2-14
Kerry 0-14
Tom Hayes was Cavan's two-goal hero as the Breffni County got their hands on the All-Ireland JFC silverware for the second time in their history with a six-point victory over Kerry in Portlaoise today.
Right corner-forward Hayes finished the game with 2-2 to his name and his goals proved to be the difference between the sides at the final whistle.
Winners in 2012, Kerry were chasing a 16th title but Terry Hyland's side were quickest out of the traps and led by 0-6 to 0-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Hayes opened the scoring with a point in the first minute and netted the first of his double in the 20th minute.
The Cavan goalposts led a charmed life at times in the first-half, however, as the crossbar denied Gavin O'Grady and Ciaran Keating goals for Kerry.
The Breffni went in with a 1-7 to 0-6 advantage at the midway stage and the second-half was just nine minutes old when Hayes struck for his and Cavan's second goal to extend their lead to 2-9 to 0-8.
The lively number 13 quickly followed with a point and it gave Cavan enough breathing space to bridge an 87 year gap to their last outright victory in the grade in 1927.
Cavan - J Farrelly; D Barkey, J Morris, F Reilly; C Brady, B Sankey, P Smith; L Buchanan, P Leddy; C Moynagh, C Conroy (0-2'45), E O'Reilly (0-2, 1f); T Hayes (2-2), E Hession (0-4), P O'Connor (0-2, 1f). Subs: N Smith for P O'Connor, D Hyland (0-2, 1f) for C Conroy, B Doyle for P Leddy, N Clerkin for E O'Reilly, C Caffrey for E Hession, F Smith for C Moynagh.
Kerry - S Murphy; M Brennan, K O'Dwyer, D Wrenn; G Gibson, D Daly, G Crowley; A Garnett, B O'Sullivan; P O'Connor (0-2, 1f), C Keating (0-1), B Crowley (0-1f); G O'Grady (0-4, 1f), P Kennelly (0-3), T Hickey (0-1). Subs: S Moloney for D Wrenn, A O'Donoghue for D Daly, P O Se for P O'Connor, D Roche for A Garnett, E Walsh (0-2) for G Crowley.
Referee - J Henry.
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