Cavan manager Peter Reilly expects the All-Ireland U21 FC series to be closely-contested.

Tomorrow's semi-final double-header at Portlaoise pits the Breffni County against Dublin and Munster kingpins Cork against much-vaunted Connacht representatives Roscommon.

Reilly, who has led Cavan to a fourth consecutive Ulster crown with wins over Tyrone, Derry, Monaghan and Donegal, says there is little between the four sides:

"There isn't a lot between all these teams - Cork, Roscommon, Dublin, Cavan. You have to be lucky enough to get a performance on the day and be ahead at the end," he notes in The Irish Times.

Reilly has his fingers crossed that - having dominated U21 football in the province for four years - Cavan can now kick on at senior level: "You would hope that but there's no guarantee. Galway have won a number of All-Irelands at under 21 in the last ten years and haven't really gone that well."

The Cavan manager points out that "small margins" have cost Cavan All-Ireland glory in recent years: "The other teams came up short and that was it. It's been small enough margins. Two years ago Roscommon bet us in Longford. Last year we didn't perform for 50 minutes and it cost us the game, but it was only by a point. Small margins." Tweet

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