Cavan's next big loss?
December 30, 2010When enthusiasts think of shining lights in these dark times for Cavan GAA, the names Paul Brady, David Givney and Aisling Doonan are often first-comers to mind, particularly in recent years.
Paul Sheridan is another which fits into that category, but for how long as far as Cavan hurling is concerned?
Winner of a Nicky Rackard All Star for his performances with the Breffni men in 2007, Sheridan has been residing in his new home in Donegal with his wife these last few years and is doing his best to hang onto his job as a brick-layer in the Tir Chonaill County. At the start of 2010, he took the decision to transfer from Mullahoran St Joseph's to play football with intermediate outfit Bundoran but would still make the long haul over 100 kilometres to continue to play his hurling with Cavan.
The appointment of Cavan Gaels clubman Brendan Nelligan to succeed John Hunt as manager of the county's senior hurlers may have paid some contribution to the 29-year-old's decision.
"Everybody was happy enough with the appointment," said Sheridan.
"I played football under him before and found him to be a good man-manager, so I was fine with the appointment. I missed out on the preparations but he told the players that he was aiming for three wins in the league and a good run in the Lory Meagher Cup as well."
Training in January was intense, according to Sheridan, who had heard all about it from his team-mates, while he recovered back in Donegal from a physically demanding previous season. He also said that they were delighted that the bar had been raised and it showed in the team's first competitive outing of the season come the third week in February.
Sheridan put in a five-star performance at centre-field as Cavan opened their Division Four campaign in the National Hurling League with a resounding 1-17 to 3-4 win over Leitrim at Kingspan Breffni Park.
The result saw Nelligan's charges avenge the previous year's defeat to their neighbours and the fact that they had eight points to spare was a focus of real delight for Sheridan, with newcomer Bernard Gaffney top-scoring on the day thanks to 0-9 from frees.
"There was a lot of heart put into that game," stated the utility player.
"There were a few new lads that came into the team and they were just raring to go. Bernard Gaffney added to it with his scoring and even though it was played on a real wet, soggy day, and our fitness wasn't completely up to scratch so early in the year, we just dug deep and pulled out a big win in the end."
Sheridan pointed out that dual-star Kevin Downes had also been a focal part in the win as well, with a 0-6, and his absence in the next two games against Longford and Fermanagh due to an eye-infection would have some influence on the results.
"Kevin is always a key player when it comes to getting scores for the Cavan hurling team," he explained. "He's the kind of lad that will almost always get you five or six points when he plays.
"We were hoping for two or three wins in the league and we got the perfect start against Leitrim. In the Fermanagh and Longford games we just let sloppy goals by us and it was very disappointing to lose those games. If we had won those two games, I still think things could have been very different for us."
There's no doubt that wins - instead of narrow defeats - would have made a crucial difference to Cavan's league campaign before being hockeyed by eventual champions Monaghan at home, but they did have the chance to redeem themselves at the end of March when they headed for the Mourne County.
This time Sheridan lined-out at number five from where he kept his man shackled and registered a point from play, but again Gaffney was the ace in the scoring stakes with 0-14 in a five-point win for the Breffni men over South Down at Ballela.
"We travelled to South Down and the mood going up wasn't great after those defeats, to be honest," the Mullahoran man conceded.
"A few things were said in the dressing-room before the game and we also had a few fringe players playing that day that really stood up and were counted for. We just outfought them in the second-half and it was a very good win to get up there."
Sheridan explained that the feelings were mixed ones afterwards, but ones that Cavan had to be ultimately disappointed with having lost two games they should have won to book their first appearance in a National League final in the small ball code.
Nelligan's team had to settle for third place - their highest finish in years - but knew they had squandered big chances against both Fermanagh and Longford, while Sheridan admits that the players went some way towards making that right with their performance in Ballela.
However, as things would unravel, Sheridan's next performance for Cavan would be his last of 2010.
"The South Down win was a great lift for us and we had good expectations going up to Omagh to play Tyrone in the Ulster championship," he claimed.
"No more than ourselves, they hadn't had a great league campaign and we were confident we could match them. On the day it didn't work out and it was a game that proved we couldn't afford to be without players like Cormac Nelligan and Bernard Gaffney, who were both missing through injury."
Tyrone took full advantage of a poor Cavan performance at Healy Park in the second weekend of May and sent them crashing out of the Ulster championship on a 6-24 to 1-14 score-line.
Sheridan lamented: "A big defeat like that is very hard to get over, especially when you had such high hopes before playing it."
Cavan's attentions were quickly turned towards the Lory Meagher Cup, which Sheridan would miss "through personal reasons".
The first round draw was a dream one as far as Cavan were concerned. Leitrim at home was seen as the perfect opener, having already defeated the Connacht outfit comfortably in the league, but once again a below par performance would come from the hosts at 'Breffni', with the footballers following suit later that day against Fermanagh in the Ulster SFC.
Two weeks later, Paul was in Donegal when he heard that Cavan's season was over after they were trounced by Fermanagh in Enniskillen as the Ernesiders booked their place into the last four of the Lory Meagher Cup at their neighbours' expense.
So, where does it keep going wrong for Cavan?
"It's hard to know," said Sheridan.
"With the league we were disappointed with some of our results, but encouraged by the others against Leitrim and South Down. There have been new players that have came in and made a difference, so if we can keep them players together, hopefully it can bring things on a bit."
On his own future with his native county, Sheridan admits that he has a big decision to make in the coming months.
"I don't know," he said when asked if he will be playing for Cavan in 2011.
"I live in Donegal and it's a lot of travelling for me. Before the (2010) season started, I said I would think about it and went back. I'll think about it and make a decision, hopefully, in the next few months.
Fingers-crossed Sheridan can give it another year for Cavan, but if not, let his contribution to hurling in this county never be forgotten nor underestimated.
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