Cavan 1-15, Monaghan 1-6.

Cavan may have lost their two opening games in the Ulster minor football league but they proved much too strong and effective for Monaghan to run out easy winners by nine points in a game that was a fairly one-sided affair in Breffni Park on Saturday.  Cavan totally dominated the first half and had the result more or less wrapped up by the break when they led by 1-11 to 0-2 and had they been a little more clinical in their finishing especially in the opening minutes that margin could indeed have been greater. Joe Dillon got the goal in the 15th minute with Cian McEnroe,
Michael Argue and Paul Graham accounting for the bulk of points.  Monaghan came a little bit more into the match in the second half but some very good defending by Cavan left scores at a premium and Monaghan were reduced to a few half chances. The goal they needed to get into the game meaningfully did arrive with six minutes of normal time remaining but that was leaving insufficient time to try and engineer a complete turnaround although that never looked a real possibility against a much sharper home side.  Adam Treanor got Monaghan’s goal in the 24th minute and
might have had a second a minute into stoppage time but in truth Monaghan were a well beaten side on the day.

Teams and Scorers: Cavan: Billy O’Meara, Brian Sankey, Killian Clarke, Ciaran Brady, Gerard Smith, Conor Moynagh, Patrick Carolan, Paul Graham 0-3, Liam Buchanan, Michael Argue 0-3, Joe Dillon 1-0, Gary Tubman 0-2, Cian McEnroe 0-3 (1f), Dara McVeety 0-2, Conor Finnegan. Subs: Darren Monaghan for L Buchanan, Andrew Graham 0-1 for D McVeety, Vincent Coyle 0-1 for G Tubman, Shane McKiernan for C McEnroe, Fergal Reilly for C Moynagh.

Monaghan:
Niall McShane, Cillian Cromwell, Jonathan McGuigan, Fergal Malone, Brian Greenan, Conor Boyle, Liam Savage, Paudie Mckenna, Patrick Finnegan, Michael Galligan 0-2 (1f), Mel Boyce, Gerard Graham, Thomas kerr 0-2 (1f), Fergal McGeough, Adam Treanor 1-2. Subs: Niall Greenan for G Graham, Killian Rudden for F McGeough, Lorcan Smyth for M Galligan, Ryan McKenna for F Malone.

Referee:  Fergal Cleary (Fermanagh).