The same old story that has frustrated a couple of generations of footballers and fans in Breffni-land unfolded yet again last May. To the utter dismay of Cavan's vaunted minor footballers and their supporters, an early exit from the Ulster championship was their lot. Not since 1974 has Cavan secured the Ulster MFC title; talk about monkeys on backs! For successive Cavan minor teams, a provincial title has proven as elusive as a wily old mouse in a barn. The championship defeat suffered at the hands of a less than dynamic Donegal in Brewster Park, Enniskillen on May 28th last firmly re-inforced a galling blemish on Cavan's glorious GAA history. The creme de la creme of Cavan footballers under the age of 18 received a lot of slaps on the back in 2005 when they pushed would-be All-Ireland champions Down to a replay in the Ulster Championship. And when the the Class of 2006 went one better and emptied the tank to leave the Mourne County empty handed in Casement Park in mid-May, the crown of laurel leaves sat easily on their collective heads. Certainly the angst suffered by Cavan football fans by dint of their team's exit from the race to win the 2006 Ulster SFC crown had been eased somewhat by the advance of the county minor team the same day at Casement Park. Success at underage level has formed the core of many a silver lining and the success of team-manager Jodie Clarke's charges did indeed help form a buffer against the county's travails at premier level last Summer when defeat in the NFL by Waterford followed by a similar result in the championship against Down represented a double whammy of the most cutting kind. Cavan travelled Laganside and promptly stole the thunder of their senior counterparts by defeating Down in the undercard of the weekend's big double bill in Belfast. The restlessness in Cavan is almost palpable when it comes to matters minor and it was with both relief and joy that the whole county greeted the young blues' triumph. The cream of the county's under 18 talent had prepared diligently since October 2005 for the duel with Down and almost everything worked to a tee. In the eight month run in to the match in Belfast, the Cavan squad trained twice per week, varying their sessions to include weight training, circuit training and ball work at Kingspan/Breffni Park and other venues around the county. Apart from challenge games against Westmeath (loss), Laois (loss) and Sligo (win), Cavan competed with a large degree of success in the 2006 Ulster Minor League in preparation for their assault on the blue riband championship title. In their opening round game against Meath in Kingscourt on St. Patrick's Day, Cavan secured a convincing 3-17 to 1-6 win with Enda Gaffney stealing the show in notching 2-6 on the day. Victory over Armagh in the second round game followed in Kingspan/Breffni Park with Cavan's 1-8 to 1-6 win a hard-fought one in what was a tough, physical encounter. Thereafter Newry was the venue for a game against Down which featured a Cavan side minus five of the hugely successful Virginia Vocational School side plus Irish Compromise Rules players Ray Cullivan, Barry Watters, Paddy Brady. Crosserlough starlet Enda Gaffney again top-scored with 2-4 against the Mourne County lads but the team was left to rue some 12 wides as they went down by 2-10 to 2-11. In the next round of the minor league, Cavan took on and beat Monaghan by 2-8 to 2-6 in Castleblayney on April 15th last with Enda Gaffney and Conor Smith (Cuchullains) notching 1-2 apiece. Enda McHugh and Rory Dunne also shone against the Farney County side. Victory over Monaghan propelled Cavan into a play-off tie with Armagh in a match that was played in Clones. Sadly Cavan lost out by 2-6 to 1-10 in a fiercely contested affair in which Cavan were wasteful in the extreme on occasions, especially in the first half. Cavan - powered by man of the match Paddy Brady (Mullahoran) lifted their game considerably in the second half and substitute Martin Dunne (Cavan Gaels) bagged 1-1 but it just wasn't enough to shade the issue. Donegal and Armagh proceeded to contest the final of the league. With the addition of soccer starlet Killian Sheridan plus the five players (Brian Coleman, Raymond Farrelly, Eugene Keating, James McEnroe and Conor Smith) who won All-Ireland Vocational Schools medals with Virginia, the Cavan squad trained on the Monday afternoon before the clash with Down. And for the first time since the previous October team-manager Clarke and his think-tank of selectors Gerry Sheridan and John Mulvanny, coach Terry Brady, co-ordinator Ray McMullen, physiotherapist Breda Smith and Dr. John McMahon had a full complement of players to work with. Going into the game against Down, Jodie Clarke was cautiously optimistic that his charges had the wherewithal to down Down at the first time of asking to book a place in the semi-final of the championship: "They're the reigning All-Ireland champions after all but that was in 2005; this is 2006 and we plan to make our imprint on minor football this year," Clarke maintained. "I know they've got at least five of last year's winning team still available so it'll not be easy and they've a good manager in Mark Turley too. "There wasn't a kick of a ball between any of the teams in the Ulster minor league this year and I don't expect there'll be much to choose between the teams in the championship either. "But Cavan fear nobody and if we can get past the challenge of Down, it'll take a hell of a good team to beat us." As things panned out, Cavan impressed as they careered to a well-merited 1-16 to 1-13 victory over the defending All-Ireland champions. On the basis of what they showed against Down, it did seem that the latest crop of Cavan under 18s had at least have the will-to-win and character to earn a little star dust for themselves. A goal scored by Shannon Gaels clubman Enda McHugh shortly before the interval did much to help spur on the Jodie Clarke-managed Cavan side to their gritty win. McHugh's goal hallmarked a sparkling ten minutes show either side of the half-time break during which time Cavan notched a terrific 1-5 tally without reply. From a position where they sat two points in arrears, the team's red letter period propelled them into a cushoned six points lead with 21 minutes of the second half having elapsed. In truth, after McHugh's timely and beautifully constructed major, the match underdogs never looked like losing. Down took the lead thanks to another 'veteran', Peter Fitzpatrick in the 3rd minute but Cavan demonstrated their ambition and determination by immediately rowing in with a point from Eugene Keating. The game proceeded to pan out like the proverbial see-saw battle with Down rattling over a hat-trick of points only for Cavan to reply in similar fashion with Colm Smith narrowly missing out on a goal after Down 'keeper Joyce deflected Smith's goal-bound shot high over the bar with his legs. Down seemed to have a bit more zeal and confidence about their play in the first half overall though and a brace of well taken points from McCumiskey handed the red and blacks a deserved two points lead. Back came Cavan though and James McEnroe found space and time to nick a point for Cavan before McCumiskey got in on the act once more. Cootehill Celtic star Colm Smith kept Cavan in touch with a well-judged free before McHugh finished off a wonderful move to the Down net with a fisted effort one minute before half-time after splendid work by Terry Smith and Colm Smith. Leading by 1-6 to 0-7, Cavan proceeded to consolidate their lead with a wonderful 40 metre point from Virginia schoolboy Keating to leave them a clear goal ahead at the break. Cavan remained in the driving seat as the second half gathered pace with three more points being racked up. With messrs. O'Dowd, Terry Smith, Cullivan, Colm Smith and sub. Killian Sheridan all giving the Down lads major headaches, Cavan never looked anything like potential losers. Inspired by a point from livewire attacker Enda Gaffney and Killian Sheridan, Cavan kept up the pressure and while Down matched the leaders point for point, they never managed to eat into Cavan's solid advantage. Even a fisted goal from the experienced sub Sean Murdock couldn't spring Down's get-out-of-jail card, leaving Cavan to comfortably wing their way into the last eight of the competition. Cavan (v Down Ulster MFC prelim. round); James McEvoy; Niall O'Reilly, Terry Smith, Damien O'Reilly; James McEnroe (0-1), Dane O'Dowd, Barry Watters; Rory Dunne, Raymond Cullivan (0-1); Colm Smith (0-3, one free, one 45), Paddy Brady (0-1), Eugene Keating (0-3); Enda McHugh (1-1), Conor Smith (0-3), Enda Gaffney (0-1). Subs; Killian Sheridan (0-1) for McEnroe, 45 mins; Martin Dunne (0-1) for Enda Gaffney (54). After the win over Down, Cavan boss Jodie Clarke insisted his team had quite a bit of work to do before a date in the Ulster semi-final final could be secured - never mind a provincial title. However the former Shercock star strongly believed that the blues had the capacity to improve on their Belfast showing. "I definitely think there's more in the tank," he declared. "The lads played very well but it was obvious with some of the lads that first day nerves effected their game a bit and the big occasion was a big test for them." But those with a penchant for chewing record books and statistics, Brewster Park in Enniskillen was viewed as far from a happy hunting ground for Cavan teams of all grades down the years. And the script (at least the one marked 'minor') penned by many hopeful Cavan pundits in 2006 was torn in shreds and left scattered to the high winds of lakeland territory to the immediate north of Redhills, Blacklion etc as Cavan went down to Donegal by 0-6 to 0-12. Sadly Cavan's bright young stars inadvertently helped the Tir Chonaill lads tighten the noose until the blues' hopes of advancement were left lifeless. If Down's victory over Cavan in the Ulster SFC campaign was a slap in the face for Cavan Football, then the young blues' summary exit, stage left, was a real kick in the teeth for all those in Breffni-land. The scoreboard which read 0-6 to 0-12 in Donegal's favour at the end of the dismal day in Brewster Park smacked off an executioner's signature on a US state prison's electric chair. In a game played before some 4,500 fans, Cavan's nightmare record at Ulster MFC level was cemented right and proper. Cavan attacked the town end of Brewster Park in the first half but in a thoroughly tentative and nervous opening moiety, the blues flattered to deceive in attempting to make good a whole raft of decent possession. Crucially, Cavan recorded ten wides in the second quarter of the match which served to deflate their morale, let Donegal off the hook and boost the Tir Chonaill side's belief that Cavan were there for the taking. The blues, ironically, opened the scoring in the 4th minute when Cootehill Celtic starlet Colm Smith converted a free after Conor Smith was fouled by outstanding Donegal defender Shane Boyle. But the blues failed miserably to consolidate Smith's opener and, instead, it was Donegal who proceeded to enjoy rich tidings in front of goal. Points reined from the Donegal forwards with Paul McGinley's fine run and overlap ending with a point in the 14th minute which put the north-westerners 0-4 to 0-1 in front. A Michael Murphy free three minutes later added to Cavan's travails but between the 20th and 25th minutes, Cavan seemed to get to grips with their opponents vim and vigour. In the 23rd minute, Enda McHugh rifled over a neat point after a Donegal counter-attack was broken up but the fact that that was Cavan's first point in almost 20 minutes summed up their poor form. Amazingly, Cavan - in spite of their barrow loads of possession - went in at half-time 0-3 to 0-5 adrift. Four bad wides between the 20th and 28th minutes, including a brace of poorly directed frees, seemed to knock the heart out of Cavan's cause while boosting Donegal's confidence. Even Eugene Keating's point in the 29th minute failed to erase the pall of doom which was quickly enveloping Cavan's cause and when Mullahoran youngster ballooned the ball wide after excellent fielding by Raymond Cullivan, the feeling that it wasn't going to be Cavan's day was becoming all too much of a reality. A point early in the second half by corner-forward Enda Gaffney (free) after good work by Paddy Brady and Conor Smith hinted at better times though for the blues. However in bidding to erase Donegal's 0-5 to 0-4 lead, Cavan's lack of authority and assurance in defence began to tell and four unanswered points by Donegal between the 7th and 18th minutes of the second half left Cavan chasing down a 0-4 to 0-9 deficit. More chances went abegging for Cavan subsequently and with ten minutes left to play, it was obvious Cavan needed a goal to pull the fat from the fire. Sadly, Cavan could only manage a brace of points in between those ghastly misses with Martin Dunne (22nd min) and Raymond Cullivan (33rd min) on target. Despite the addition of four minutes of injury time, Cavan couldn't match their honest endeavour and competitiveness with the guile, accuracy or luck to get them out of jail. "We never got going but I've nothing but praise for the huge effort put in by the players - and the rest of the management team as well, " reflected team-manager Clarke. "No stone was left unturned in our preparation but the lads just didn't perform on the day. "As to why they didn't; well, that's the six million dollar question. "You can do all the training and get the team selection right and have your tactics spot on but it's all on the day and how the players perform. "In my eyes though, no blame can be attached to anyone." Cavan (Ulster MFC qtr-final v Donegal); James McEvoy; Niall O'Reilly, Terry Smith, Damien O'Reilly; James McEnroe, Dane O'Dowd, Barry Watters; Rory Dunne, Raymond Cullivan (0-1); Colm Smith (0-1, free), Paddy Brady, Eugene Keating (0-1); Enda McHugh (0-1), Conor Smith, Enda Gaffney (0-1, free). Subs; Martin Dunne (0-1) for Enda Gaffney; Martin Cunningham for Conor Smith; Sean Higgins for Rory Dunne. Tweet

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