Cavan earn vital win over Ulster U20 holders Tyrone as Galway continue perfect start

There was plenty of drama around the country in the provincial U20 football championships.

Dalata Hotel Group U-20 football championship Results

Leinster Round 1

  • Dublin 1-18 Wexford 1-15
  • Meath 5-19 Carlow 2-9
  • Longford 2-17 1-15 Laois
  • Kildare 3-16 Wicklow 0-7
  • Louth v Westmeath (postponed)

Ulster Round 2

  • Cavan 1-14 Tyrone 0-15
  • Fermanagh 2-11 Antrim 2-7
  • Donegal 1-9 Monaghan 0-8
  • Armagh 0-19 Down 1-12

Connacht Round 2

  • Galway 2-11 Leitrim 0-11
  • Roscommon 2-19 Sligo 0-15

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SHANE MCCABE GRABBED the crucial goal as Cavan scored a significant Dalata Hotel Group Ulster U20 football championship win over holders Tyrone.

The Red Hands were keen to hit the ground running in the first game of their quest for a provincial three-in-a-row.

But the back-to-back All-Ireland champions chased Cavan for a large chunk of their Group B opener and fell to a surprise two-point defeat.

Shea McDermott scored all seven of Tyrone’s first-half points and they were 0-6 to 0-3 up when McCabe netted after 25 minutes to tie the game.

A Jack Dobson two-pointer for the Breffni left them 1-5 to 0-7 up at half time and they led for the majority of the second half.

Dylan Edwards, Cian McConnell, McCabe and Nathan Quigley supplied the scores as Cavan closed it out for a huge win ahead of ties against Armagh and Down.

Armagh also opened their Group B campaign with a win over Down.

Donegal, beaten in last year’s Ulster U-20 decider, overcame Monaghan to make it two wins from two after edging out Fermanagh in their opening Group A game.

And Fermanagh bounced back from that opening round loss by beating Antrim thanks to goals from Mattie McDermott and Daire Chapman.

Galway took care of Leitrim to make it two wins from two in Connacht while Roscommon rebounded from their Round 1 loss to the Tribesmen by defeating Sligo.

Meanwhile, John Harkin blasted 2-5 as Meath got their Leinster U20 campaign off to a flying start in Carlow.

Harkin featured in Meath’s breakthrough Leinster success at this grade in 2024 and lined out again in last year’s final loss to Louth.

He brought all that big game experience to bear at Netwatch Cullen Park where Cathal O Bric’s young Royals demolished Carlow 5-19 to 2-9.

Sub Adam Ducie added two late goals while Cian Commons finished with 1-3. There was a cameo too from Dunsany’s Stephen Cahill, the son of former Nemo Rangers All-Ireland club SFC medallist Kevin Cahill, who clipped 0-4 from play.

In the other Group 2 game, Longford scored a 2-17 to 1-15 win over Laois thanks in part to first-half goals from Mark Cooney and Luke Donnelly.

Holders Louth were scheduled to play Westmeath but the Group 2 tie has been pushed back to Friday evening in Mullingar.

Dublin had to come from three points down at half time to beat Wexford 1-18 to 1-15 at Chadwicks Wexford Park.

And Kildare cruised to a 3-16 to 0-7 win over Wicklow in the only game in the three-team Group 3, Athy’s Ronan Kelly with two goals.

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