Cavan prove too strong for Down

Cavan 1-9 Down 0-5

Cavan made it two wins from as many starts in this year's Dr McKenna Cup with a comfortable victory over Down at Kingscourt.

The hosts were never headed and five unanswered points in the second half left them winners a long way from home.

Down played with the breeze in the first half but could only manage two converted frees with top scorer Niall Madine (13) and Darragh O'Hanlon (27) on target.

Cavan target man Eugene Keating scored two of his side's three first-half points and it was his clever flick two minutes into the second half that put sub. Kevin Tierney through for a goal.

On a soft pitch and with a greasy ball, both teams were their own worst enemies in plotting a way to goal thereafter though.

The Breffni Blues continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession but Madine and Ryan Boyle (43) pointed for Down to cut Cavan's lead to 1-3 to 0-4 after 43 minutes.

Better luck
Against the breeze though, Down's efforts to gain parity invariably fell short of the target, wide of Conor Gilsenan's goal or were intercepted by man-of-the-match Cavan's Rory Dunne at full-back.

At the other end of the field, Cavan had far better luck with Kingscourt clubman Philip Tinnelly arrowing over the best point of the day in the 49th minute.

The lights remained stuck on green for the Blues and although Tierney shot just wide of goal (52), two points from the impressive Turloch Mooney rendered Benny Coulter's injury-time point redundant.
CAVAN: C Gilsenan; J Hayes, R Dunne, K Brady; P Tinnelly (0-1), A Clarke, N Smith; D McKiernan, P Leddy; M Reilly, N McDermott, T Mooney (0-2) ; C Mackey, D Givney (0-2), E Keating (0-3, 0-2 frees). Subs: K Tierney (1-0) for P Leddy (half-time); M Lyng for D McKiernan (40 mins); N Murray (0-1) for M Reilly (BC, 47 mins); M Dunne for N McDermott (54 mins); Damien Reilly for P Tinnelly (59 mins); D Barkey for K Brady (66 min).
DOWN: S Harrison; D McCartan, P Turley, D O'Hagan; D O'Hanlon (0-1, 1f) , A Carr, M Lively; K King, G McArdle; R Boyle (0-1) , C O'Hare, B McArdle; P Fitzpatrick, N Madine (0-2, 1 f), E McCartan. Subs: C Garvey for D O'Hanlon (BC, 46 mins); B Coulter (0-1, 1f) for P Fitzpatrick (48 mins); L Doyle for N Madine (52 mins); D Turley for G McArdle (58); Sean Bell for E McCartan (60 mins); S McNamee for D O'Hagan (69 mins).
Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone)