fonaCab Ulster Minor Football Tournament final: Cavan Gaels (Cavan) 2-4 Four Masters (Donegal) 1-10
NEW Year’s resolutions only mean what you make of them.
As they travelled back over the M1 on January 1, 2023 – tears still drying as the devastation of last-gasp defeat to Dungiven started to sink in – the Four Masters faithful knew there were never any guarantees of being back at the same place, on the same day, a year down the line.
However, with a new crop emerging to supplement those who had endured such heartache on Belfast’s Shaws Road, they resolved to give it a damn good go.
Twelve months on, the story being written is a little different after the Donegal Town club lifted the Jimmy McConville Cup at the second time of asking, refusing to allow history to repeat itself as they held a spirited Cavan Gaels side at bay.
All around, faces crumpled and bodies fell into each other when the long whistle sounded to signal the end of the Gaels’ desperate search for the goal that would bring the game into extra-time. In truth, it never really looked like coming.
Towering midfielder Theo Colhoun, one of those who remained from last year, fell to his knees straight away, kissing the ground before blessing himself and offering a word of thanks to the heavens.
They had waited for this and, in those glorious moments of madness that followed, it meant everything. And, no matter what happens in the rest of their career, or the rest of their lives, none of those young men will ever forget how it felt to be crowned kings of Ulster that cold New Year’s Day at St Paul’s.
Four Masters were good value for it too.
The better side on the day, it was a constant source of surprise that the scoreboard had the sides so close, so often, two goals – both with a hint of good fortune about them – keeping Cavan in touch even if they offered little going forward.
For them, the attacking plan appeared fairly simple from the outset; get the ball to Joshua Shehu as often as possible and let him weave his magic.
Outstanding throughout the tournament, the man known as ‘Mini’ lived up to his pre-game billing during the early exchanges, constantly putting Four Masters on the back foot and using his low centre of gravity to draw fouls from defenders.
And, after impressive 15-year-old Tomas Carr had curled over the opening score for Four Masters, Shehu made his mark.
A buzz went around every time the ball landed in his hands and, on 11 minutes, he burst through and shot – falling over as it left his boot, Shehu’s effort at the posts falling short and dropping over the head of Four Masters ‘keeper Lewis McCaughan.
But the Donegal men didn’t let their heads go down, their more direct approach paying off as the talismanic Kevin Muldoon started to run the show.
Having nudged ahead, a goal from man-of-the-match Conor McCahill pushed Four Masters into a four point lead on 20 minutes as he profited from a Turlough Carr pass, after younger brother Tomas had forced a turnover, with McCahill lashing past Emiliano Vennettilli’s left hand.
Despite appearing ready to take the game by the scruff, another Cavan Gaels goal killed their momentum – this time a superb Josh Dunne pass taking Eoghan O’Neill out of the game, allowing Cormac Crotty to cut inside and shoot.
A bit like Shehu’s goal, first instinct said it was an effort at a point, but again the ball dropped just under the crossbar to leave it all square at the break.
But after Finn Crowe fisted over to edge the Gaels ahead three minutes into the second half, Four Masters grabbed control, reeling off six of the next seven scores to finally create a bit of daylight.
Despite picking up a yellow card for felling Shehu in the first half - it should probably have been a black card - Four Masters captain Callum McCrea stuck manfully to the task to snuff out the Gaels’ danger man as they found points hard to come by down the straight.
McCrea put the seal on a strong performance by popping up with a point of his own as the minutes ticked down - the Donegal men always having that little bit extra to do what they couldn’t quite manage 12 months earlier.
Cavan Gaels: E Vennettilli; D Siommers, C Doyle, E Griksas; C Galligan, B Hanly, MA McDonagh; B Tully (0-3, 0-2 frees), M Monaghan; C Grotty (1-0), J Shehu (1-0), F McNamara; J Jaskiewicz, F Crowe (0-1), J Dunne. Subs: S Kolimar for Galligan (38), M Holko for Dunne (53)
Yellow cards: B Hanly (56), E Vennettilli (60+2)
Four Masters: L McCaughan; E O’Neill, D McGinty, T McGovern; C Gavigan (0-1), C McCrea (0-1), A Quinn; T McBride, T Colhoun; Tomas Corr (0-1), K Muldoon (0-3, 0-2 frees, 0-1 45), P McGonagle; C McCahill (1-1), O Doherty (0-3, 0-2 frees), Turlough Carr. Subs: A McHugh for McGonagle (42). Blood sub: D Griffin for McCahill (49, reversed 53)
Yellow card: C McCrea (25)
Referee: B Toland (Antrim)