OVER FIVE THOUSAND fans packed into Brewster Park in Enniskillen last night to see Cavan upset the odds and beat favourites Tyrone, claiming their first Ulster U-21 title since 1996 on a scoreline of 1-10 to 0-10.

Cavan needed a good start and they got it with a goal straight from the throw-in, Niall Murray latching on to a long ball and blasting home.

That goal lifted Cavan and Tyrone struggled for large periods, though they did impress on the infrequent occasions when they got the ball into Matthew Donnelly and the full-forward line.

For Cavan, senior panel member Gearoid McKiernan controlled midfield with a man-of-the-match performance and it was his two long-range scores which rallied his team-mates to a 1-05 to 0-04 lead at the break.

On the restart, Tyrone roared back into action and points from Ronan O’Neill and Niall McKenna gave them hope. But Cavan showed great resolve and composure to restore their advantage with points from Barry Reilly and Jack Brady, and it was that ability to break for crucial scores which won it for the underdogs in the end.

Though Tyrone pressed and looked to have been denied a good penalty claim, the Breffni men fought to the bitter end and four points from Jack Brady were vital.

As the rain poured down in the closing minutes, Cavan sealed the deal to take their first Ulster U-21 title since 1996. After losing the provincial final last year, few would deny them this well-deserved victory.

But manager Terry Hyland and his team cannot rest on their laurels – next up are Wexford  in the All-Ireland semi-final on Saturday night in Dublin’s Parnell Park.

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