Cavan manager Raymond Galligan said he asked his players to stay composed at half-time and take high-percentage shots when the chance presented itself against Monaghan.

Having trailed 0-7 to 0-5 after playing against a stiff breeze in the second-half, the Breffni men got level and hit the front through Padraig Faulkner’s goal before falling behind again and eventually earning the win thanks to late goals from Gerry Smith and Paddy Lynch that sees them into an Ulster SFC quarter-final against Tyrone.

Speaking on RTÉ's The Sunday Game after yesterday’s 3-12 to 1-12 win in Clones, Galligan hailed his players “phenomenal” work-rate in the first-half that kept them in the contest.

"The messaging at half-time was just about being composed," said the Lacken clubman.

"We knew the wind wasn't going to be the winning of the game, it was more about being measured in our passing. We felt that Monaghan probably overpassed on top of the D and we got a lot of turnovers in that area.

"We put a big focus on continuing to run the ball and making sure that we didn't give up cheap possession, and when the opportunity arose that we would take that high-percentage shot rather than get excited because it's so blustery.

"It was about staying measured, pushing up on our kick-out, contesting around midfield and do not take a step back with the work-rate. The work-rate in the first-half, I felt was phenomenal to put ourselves only two points down and the guys kicked on in the second-half.”

Cavan manager Raymond Galligan admits a first experience managing in the Ulster Championship was a sweet one. #sundaygame pic.twitter.com/cAul1z9Aqq

— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) April 7, 2024

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