By Shaun Casey

A FINAL at any time of the year should be embraced and Cavan are happy to have another competitive outing before the start of the championship, says minor boss Ed O’Hanlon.

They take on Derry in the Ulster Minor League Shield decider on Saturday afternoon with both counties having finished in second place in their respective groups.

Cavan earned victories over Down and Fermanagh, either side of their only defeat at the hands of reigning Ulster and All-Ireland champions Tyrone.

Derry, likewise, only lost one of their outings in the five-team group, with Monaghan edging them out by the minimum of margins, although the Oak Leaf County chalked up three wins over Donegal, Armagh and Antrim.

Having tossed for the venue, Cavan will have the comfort of welcoming Derry to their home spot of Kingspan Breffni with another home clash with Donegal in Ulster coming down the line.

“We’re looking forward to it and while it’s a shield final, it’s really just another game to get us prepared for the championship and that’s what we’ve been using the league for,” said O’Hanlon ahead of the game.

“It’s great for both the players and the management to try and learn a bit ahead of the championship so in that sense, it’s great to have another opportunity to play against top quality opposition.”

Derry have won two of the last three All-Ireland titles at this age grade, and three of the last six, collecting back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 along with their 2020 crown.

Cavan, on the other hand, are searching for their first Ulster Minor Championship title since 2011m and taking on the likes of Derry on a regular basis will help them develop.

“They did very well in the other group of the league,” O’Hanlon continued. “They’ve only lost one game by a point, and they won all of their other games, so they look to be very strong and they’re very strong every year at this age grade.

“We would know a wee bit about them through the school’s football, and we got to see one of their games. They’re decent but with minor, the teams change every year, and they have a couple still there from last year.

“They look to be very strong around the middle of the field, and they have top quality forwards as well so just a typical Derry outfit.”

The Breffni Blues did gain the upper hand when the two counties last crossed paths, in the opening round of last season’s championship. O’Hanlon’s men emerged victorious with a 1-12 to 1-7 win in the end, on their way to reaching the Ulster final.

Unfortunately for them, Tyrone proved too strong in the decider and ran out six-point winners on the day, but that tie, along with an All-Ireland quarter-final with Kerry, will boost O’Hanlon’s young guns heading into the 2026 championship.

“We have six or seven of the lads still there from last year which isn’t bad, we’re happy with that,” O’Hanlon explained. “We are very content with what we have, whether it’s the older lads or the younger lads, they are all pushing hard every week in training.

“They’re all trying to improve and really that’s what it’s all about. Every county at the start of the season, you’re trying to find a team and find a system of play that evolves from week to week.

“We’re like the other teams in the province, we’re well into that journey at this stage and we’re trying really to get a settled outfit for the championship and hopefully we’re well on our way to do that.”

On those from last year’s crop that still remain, O’Hanlon continued, “With any team, but especially with minors, you have to take it one week at a time and that’s the way we’re approaching the year.

“We did that last year, so we’ll just see where that takes us and we’re not thinking about Ulster finals or All-Ireland quarter-finals or anything like that. We’re just looking to improve and hopefully be a competitive force and have a decent say in the championship.”