Masters Shield Final
Cavan Masters 3-12 Antrim Masters 1-14
Despite a strong final quarter where they had the opposition under the cosh, Antrim Masters came up short in this Mick Loftus Shield final against Cavan Masters in vastly changing weather conditions at Breffni Park on Saturday.
Frankie Delargy’s Antrim started this final without a number of key players and found themselves 0-5 to 0-0 behind after 11 minutes to a Cavan side for whom Kieth Fannin looked sharp. Fannin converted three frees and Paddy McNamee and Michael McGovern were the other Cavan marksmen.
Michael McCarry finally got the Saffrons off the mark from a converted free and added another as the visitors began to grow into the game and a Ryan Daly point left it 0-6 to 0-3 after 18 minutes play.
Just when it looked like Antrim were getting on top they were hit on the counter attack and Cavan were awarded a rather soft penalty which Keith Fannin fired out of the reach of Sean McGreevey despite the Antrim keeper getting a hand to the spot kick.
Antrim replied through Ciaran Close and Ryan Boyd but were hit again by a sucker counter punch when Paddy McNamee broke clear in the final play of the opening half to finish to the net and leave the Breffni side 2-7 to 0-5 ahead at the break.
Things went from bad to worse for the Saffrons at the start of the second half as McNamee, Tomas Leonard and Fannin kicked three quick fire points to move Cavan 11 ahead by the 35th minute and Antrim were in danger of being over-run at this stage but they picked themselves up of the carpet.
A point from David McAlernon and a goal from Mark Graham got them on their way and Michael McCarry followed with another point to close the gap to six as the visitors began to gain a bit of momentum.
Keith Fannin replied with a point, Michael McGovern added another and when Joe Sheridan got in for their third goal at the end of the third quarter Antrim’s comeback looked to have been in vain.
The gap was back out to 11 and the Antrim storm appeared to have been averted but the Saffrons quite simply refused to go away.
They began to eat into the Cavan lead as they took the game to their hosts in the final quarter with Michael McCarry 0-5, Brendan Etherson and Declan McErlean kicking the final seven points of the game to close the gap to four but that was as close as they got with a relieved Cavan happy to hear the full time whistle.
Despite defeat this has been a good year for Antrim Masters but the availability of key players for Saturday’s final certainly didn’t help their cause.
They have been competitive in all their games this season and will hope to go on to bigger and better things next season.
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