Another summer cut short
December 30, 2010While Cavan may have been double up on their win tallies from the previous season, overall 2010 had its fair share of disappointments, including a National League final place they let slip through their fingers and early exits in the Ulster championship and Lory Meagher Cup.
When Cavan Gaels clubman Brendan Nelligan took the post to succeed John Hunt as Cavan senior hurling manager many believed he was taking up a poised chalice, but he entered the role filled with optimism. He knew this Cavan team had loyal servants in abundance, with players like Anthony Sheridan, Paul Sheridan, Kevin Downes and Mark McEntee making up the nucleus of a good team.
At his first training session in January, he told the squad that they were more than capable of three wins in the National Hurling League and a decent charge in the Lory Meagher Cup. That proved to be true, but, sadly, for the Breffni men it just didn't materialise.
Both Seamus Farrell of Galway and PJ Martin - a brother of Offaly All-Ireland winner Kevin - were drafted into Nelligan's backroom team at the start of the year and according to former captain Paul Sheridan training was intense in the build up to the National League campaign, with the first few weeks spent in the gym before slogging it out in what was an icy winter on the fields.
Keen to avoid another finish at the foot of Division Four, the players laboured as Nelligan introduced a few new faces to the squad which would keep everyone on their toes, as would the returns of Kevin Downes and Cormac Nelligan to the set-up.
Cavan could not have asked for a more ideal game than Leitrim at Kingspan Breffni Park to get their competitive season underway on February 21.
Finely tuned for this encounter, the Blues had edged their opponents by a point thanks to Kevin Downes after the opening quarter, before their forwards found their rhythm to notch an unanswered 1-5, with the goal coming from Mullahoran attacker Mark McEntee in the 28th minute. Leitrim clawed their way back into things shortly afterwards though and a goal from Dave McGovern helped reduce the deficit to 1-9 to 1-3 at half-time.
In the second-half, Cavan put their foot back on the throttle though, as newcomer Bernard Gaffney finished the game with 0-9 to his name and he was backed up by the accurate Downes, who finished with just three points less.
Leitrim struck two goals in the second period which proved to be consolation, as Cavan ensured their season would be off to a flyer with a 1-17 to 3-4 home win over their neighbours.
It was a rare perfect start for Cavan, who had let opportunities of winning their openers slip by in the past, but with four games remaining they were eager to get the momentum going as they travelled to take on a fancied Longford side at Michael Fay Park, where they flew out of the traps and bagged an early goal through the lethal Gaffney.
At half-time the sides were level (0-7 to 1-4) and after the restart Nellligan's charges regained the lead when Gaffney and substitute Eugene Hill pucked over, but a comeback from the hosts saw them level once more, with Declan Tanner hitting the winning points late on.
It was a case of so near, yet so far in Longford that day as a win would have presumably been a major lift to a county that have failed to string two competitive wins together for too long now.
The next day out against Fermanagh in Maguiresbridge an even more crushing blow would be sustained.
Cavan started the game in superb fashion with their now established marksman Gaffney hitting 1-6 in the opening quarter to send them eight points clear. It was around that time when the hosts received their wake-up call and narrowed down the difference via scores from Paul McGoldrick and Sean Corrigan.
After the restart, Fermanagh picked up where they left off at the end of the first-half and lashed in goals two quick goals to move four points in front, which ultimately devastated the visitors.
Gaffney, who finished with an outstanding 2-11, pounced for his second goal to keep Cavan in the hunt for the points, but a combination of sloppy defending and slick finishing down the other end made sure of a two-point win for the Ernesiders.
Seven days later and a trouncing at the hands of eventual champions Monaghan at Kingspan Breffni Park confirmed three defeats in as many weeks for Nelligan's team with just one fixture remaining in the league against South Down.
If Cavan were to avoid another bottom place finish in the fourth tier and salvage some pride from the campaign then they would have to put the Mourne men to the sword up in Ballela.
Cavan started the game in similar fashion to that of the Fermanagh defeat, opening up a 0-6 to 0-1 lead after the first 20 minutes, with Gaffney's accurate frees doing the trick for the visitors.
South Down recovered brilliantly though and when James McGrath lashed in the game's first goal they took in a 1-7 to 0-9 lead at the break. The home side added to their lead with a further 1-5 and it looked as though it was going to be the same old story for Cavan, but they took over after that by winning frees for Gaffney to convert and Michael McEntee buried in their goal towards the end to ensure a memorable victory.
Cavan (NHL 4 v South Down): D Sheridan; B Devine, M Carr, A Sheridan; P Sheridan (0-1), C Nelligan, L Kelly (0-1); M O'Connell, E Hill (0-1); K Downes (0-1), B Gaffney (0-14, 14f), R O'Hagan; S Brady (0-1), M McEntee (1-0), B Harten.
The win was a major bonus for Cavan, who hadn't finished in third position in the basement for some time, and was something they took encouragement from as they headed into their second ever Ulster Senior Hurling Championship competition, with Tyrone waiting in the first round.
The Red Hands struggled in their own league campaign in Division 3B, losing all six of their games suffering relegation, leaving Cavan confident that they could pull off another win on their journey across the border to Omagh.
As it turned out, the game proved a total mis-match as Tyrone scored a 25-point victory, which flattered the hosts as Cavan fell apart in the second-half.
The two teams were level after 28 minutes when Kevin Downes and Michael O'Connell took the fight to their opponents and only Conor Grugan's goal just before the break separated the sides at half-time on 2-10 to 1-10.
However, it was all Tyrone in the second half with the Breffni being ripped to shreds after Justin Kelly's long-range free went all the way to the net in the 45th minute. Grugan completed his hat-trick four minutes later and further majors from Cormac McHugh and Sean McLoughney before the end capped off a huge win for the O'Neill County.
The players regrouped, did their best to forget about the defeat in Omagh at the start of May and turned their attentions towards the Lory Meagher Cup - the focus of their season - without the services of key figure Paul Sheridan, who had taken the decision to withdraw from the panel for "personal reasons" after the defeat to Tyrone.
With a home tie against Leitrim in the opening round on June 12, Cavan were confident that they could hand their neighbours defeat at 'Breffni' for a second time in one season, but there plans were foiled when Liam Burns' 41st minute effort hit the net and they were condemned to defeat on a 2-13 to 1-13 score-line.
It was another narrow loss that left the players dejected, and they were given two weeks to make it right with a shot at revenge against Fermanagh in Enniskillen, where the winners would progress through to the last four of the competition.
After an evenly contested opening period, Cavan looked to have put themselves in the driving-seat when Jamie Rosney pounced for the only goal midway through the half, but the Ernesiders responded impressively with free-taker Paul McGoldrick accounting for the majority of their first half tally of eight points.
The excellent Bernard Gaffney - a shoo-in as one of Cavan's top performers in 2010 - had the visitors back on level terms 12 minutes into the second half, but Fermanagh upped the tempo again and ran-out easy winners to bring the Breffni men's season to an early end.
Cavan (Lory Meagher v Fermanagh): M Curry; D Neary, M Carr, S Og Brady; B Devine, C Nelligan, K Fitzpatrick; L Kelly (0-1), G Brennan (0-1); K Downes (0-5, 4f), J Rosney (1-0), R O'Hagan; M O'Connell, C Brennan, B Harten. Subs: F Bird for S Og Brady (47), M Doheny for J Rosney (68), R O'Hanlon for B Harten (71).
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