By Niall Gartland

WINNING back-to-back All-Ireland U-16 Championships at ‘A’ level is no mean feat, and Cavan boss Michael Lee was delighted with the efforts of his players as they retained their title with a comfortable win over Mayo last Saturday.

A devastating opening 15 minutes laid the platform as Cavan reigned supreme on a scoreline of 3-11 to 3-6 against the Connacht opposition with Cavan centre-forward Abby Reilly top scoring with a personal tally of 2-3.

Lee managed the u-14s from 2020 to 2023 before stepping up to the u-16 ranks this season, and he said their All-Ireland title was a just reward for the efforts of all involved.

“Back-to-back u-16 All-Irelands is an unbelievable feat and it’s a testament to the work that’s been put into it by everyone in the playing and management group.

“We got a great start against Mayo scoring a goal from the throw in which set us on our way. Our captain and out and out leader Emilia Mussi won the throw-in and ran hard at the heart of the Mayo defence.

“One of our principles has been to create as many scoring opportunities as possible throughout the game, and that’s how we started the opening quarter which set us up nicely for the remainder of the game.”

Cavan ladies football is riding the crest of a wave at underage level across the grades with their minor team also advancing to an All-Ireland final with a comprehensive victory over Kildare. Asked to explain the secret of their success, Lee said: “I’m getting asked from different counties, what are we doing differently. We’re just blessed to have good football people coaching, hard working and motivated players. The environment is fun and the players are best friends who enjoy playing their football together.

“The focus is on improving, not winning, and allowing the players to try things and work things out with some guidance and discussion. We’ve been using the mantra ‘progress not perfection’ so the players know they’re allowed to mess up as long as they’re reflecting and learning from it.”

Lee also cautions against any sort of assumptions that senior success will invariably follow down the track, but they’re certainly going about things in the proper manner.

“Underage success to Senior level doesn’t seem to be that transferable across numerous sports. Many underage superstars disappear along the way for numerous different reasons. I worked in Premier League academy football in London and a very, very small percentage of those players have made it to the top level.

“We just need to continue creating enjoyable environments and focus on improving the players’ understanding of the game and see where that takes us in the future.”