Cavan 0-11 Donegal 1-16
Winless Cavan were their own worst enemies as they were out-classed by a savvy and slick Donegal side in a lop-sided NFL Division One clash at Kingspan Breffni Park.
It was all too easy for Donegal on Saturday as Cavan self-imploded on home ground to leave them still chasing an opening win in Division One of the NFL.
The bottom side took 22 minutes to open their account after their fired-up opponents had meandered their way into a leisurely 0-5 to 0-0 lead.
Worse still, the blues had captain Killian Clarke red-carded on the half-hour and then couldn’t replace black-carded sub Cian Mackey with seven minutes left to play.
Donegal were in no mood to feel sorry for their hosts and two Michael Murphy frees and howitzers apiece for Ciaran Thompson (9) and Eoin McHugh (12) had Cavan trailing by 0-0 to 0-5.
Cavan were laboured going forward and a tame effort from 40 metres by the wandering Michael Argue summed up Cavan’s lethargic early play.
Donegal then got a helping hand on their way with Clarke’s dismissal underpinning the significance of Donegal’s less than flattering 0-6 to 0-4 interval lead.
Things got steadily worse for the blues with Eoin McHugh’s peach of a goal three minutes after the restart making it a seven point game on the back of McFadden’s gem.
However, Cavan kept nipping away at the heels of the Tir Chonaill men and a point apiece from McKiernan and Ciaran Brady served to re-ignite the interest, however temporarily, of the Cavan fans in the 6,545-strong crowd.
An air of inevitability had wafted its way over proceedings well before Niall Clerkin passed up Cavan’s one decent chance of a goal when he could only find the side-netting in the 53rd minute.
Cavan’s woes were complete when they found themselves unable to replace the black-carded Mackey with seven minutes left to play.
Scorers – Cavan: S Johnston (0-3, 2f); G McKiernan (0-3, 1f); C Madden (0-2); D McVeety (0-2); C Brady (0-1). Donegal: C Thompson (0-5, 1f ); E McHugh (1-1); J Brennan (0-3).M Murphy (0-3, 3f); F McGlynn (0-1); H McFadden (0-1); M McHugh (0-1); R McHugh (0-1).
CAVAN: R Galligan; F Reilly, P Faulkner, K Brady; Martin Reilly, C Brady, G Smith; K Clarke, T Corr; M Argue, D McVeety, C Madden; N Clerkin, G McKiernan, S Johnston.
Subs: R Dunne for T Corr (14); S Murray for K Brady (h-t); N Murray for M Argue (h-t); C Mackey for S Johnston (44); J Dillon for F Reilly (56); J McCutcheon for C Brady (58).
DONEGAL: M A McGinley; P McGrath, N McGee, E B Gallagher; C Ward, F McGlynn, E McHugh; J McGee, C Thompson; M Carroll, M O'Reilly, R McHugh; H McFadden, M Murphy, D O'Connor.
Subs: J Brennan for D O’Connor (h-t); D McLaughlin for M Carroll (47); M Langan for J McGee (49); E Doherty for H McFadden (55); M McHugh for E McHugh (65); P Brennan for E B Gallagher (67).
Referee: C Lane (Cork).
