Cavan edge out Monaghan in thrilling Ulster contest

The Ulster SFC kicked off with a bang for Cavan as they hit three second-half goals to see off neighbours Monaghan in Clones.

A goal from sub Michael Hamill had given Monaghan a narrow lead during the final quarter, but late strikes by Gerard Smith and top scorer Paddy Lynch turned the game decisively in Cavan's favour as they hit on the counter-attack to devastating effect, finishing with an unanswered 2-02.

Rory Beggan kicked three points on his return for Monaghan, but the game was marred by Darren Hughes being stretchered off early in the second half.

Conor McManus, Rory Beggan, David Garland and Karl O’Connell were all on target early on for Monaghan, but they couldn’t really put wind advantage to as much use as they needed in the opening half, with Paddy Lynch’s unerring free-taking keeping Cavan in touch.

Points from Beggan, McManus and Jack McCarron saw Monaghan finally get some momentum towards the half-hour mark, but Lynch’s fifth point of the half left just two between the teams at the break: 0-07 to 0-05.

Oisín Brady and Gerard Smith brought Cavan level after the restart, before an injury to Darren Hughes led to a lengthy delay. The next four points all came from frees – two by Lynch cancelling out one each by McManus and McCarron – while Seán Jones announced his introduction with a forward mark that kept Monaghan narrowly ahead.

Cavan took the lead for the first time when Pádraig Faulkner fired to the net, with Brían O’Connell blazing another goal chance over the bar and Oisín Brady sending a lob just wide of an unguarded net. O’Connell and Conor McCarthy combined, however, to create a goal for Michael Hamill, before Joel Wilson became the third Monaghan sub to score.

A point from play by Beggan doubled the hosts’