By Niall Gartland

THE Cavan minors plotted a path to last year’s Ulster final, losing out by six points to Tyrone, and there’s already enough evidence to suggest that they can make a positive impression in this year’s competition.

With Ed O’Hanlon overseeing matters on the sideline, the Breffni County reached their first provincial showdown at this level since 2017, and the Cavan Gaels man is back for another crack at it.

They finished second in their group and overcame Derry in the Ulster Minor Shield final, and now they’re in the thick of preparations for their round one clash against Donegal, which takes place this Saturday at noon.

Their opponents, who are managed by Donegal great Karl Lacey, had what looks like a fairly underwhelming Ulster Minor League campaign, but they performed better than first meets the eye, overcoming Armagh and falling narrowly short against both Derry and Minor league winners Monaghan.

Ed O’Hanlon said: “We’ve had the chance to look at them once or twice – they’re a very strong outfit. They were on the other side of the draw to us.

“While Donegal finished third, they lost to Monaghan, who won the league, by only two points, and again to Derry by a point or two.

“A lot of these sides are very evenly matched – you could nearly throw a blanket over them. It looks set up for a very competitive championship, and five or six counties will really fancy their chances.”

While it was gratifying to get their hands on silverware with their Minor Shield win over Derry, O’Hanlon said the main purpose of the league was paving the way for their championship.

“To be honest, the approach to the league is all about preparing for the championship. Obviously, you’re trying to get seeded and finish in the top two, as that gives you a home draw in round one, which is important.

“But really, for us, the league is about finding our best team. It gives us an opportunity to work on our system of play and get ready for the championship. I think, for every county, all roads lead to the championship.

“It did turn out well, we had three group games and finished second in the group, which qualified us for the shield final. We played Derry and it was brilliant to get another competitive game in ahead of the championship.”

Cavan can call upon a few of the players from last year’s panel, including captain Jake Smith, but the starting team is mostly changed from last year, something O’Hanlon doesn’t see as a problem.

“We have seven or eight players from last year’s squad, so it’s great to have that bit of experience. That said, it’s not too dissimilar to most panels – you’d expect a lot of lads to be in their first year at minor level.”