What is the word coming out of the Cavan camp.Are there likely to be any changes?I would say Tom Hayes will start and deservedly so.
There are a couple of Cavan forwards under pressure for a starting place but may be given the benefit of the doubt for the first 20 minutes.There are unlikely to be any changes to defence or midfield personnel anyway.Conor Madden is a big loss.Enda Hessien is good at running at defence but this may be more suitable to the last minutes.I don't know enough about Cian Byrne as have,nt seen him a lot.Aaron O Hara is there or thereabouts and is a very good option if management decide to move any backs to attack.Big Nevin O Donnell may give us a bit more presence around the full forward line but if Dillon is in there already then this might not work.It's a headache for management on the attacking front overall.It would be a massive win to beat the Dubs,what are the bookies giving,you'd imagine the Dubs will be strong favourites to all outside Cavan but if it was Tyrone v Dublin would that be the case.

celt2018 (Cavan) - Posts: 160 - 15/04/2014 14:44:34    1575509

Dublin weren't that impressive in the Leinster Final. Meath missed a pen and had poor wides throughout the game. Dublin I think will miss Ciaran Kilkenny against a tough defence like Cavan. Conor McHugh, Paul Mannion, Cormac Costello all very good players, but dont have the physical presence of Kilkenny, I would start Hayes, he was impressive against Tyrone when introduced, very good against Monaghan, and made an impact off the bench against Donegal, can win his own ball and take a score. Buchanan done well in the Ulster final and is likely to keep his place in midfield as Sankey is still out asaik

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2763 - 15/04/2014 15:41:34    1575554

Cormac Costello and Shane carthy both very doubtful and as been said the dubs were less than great against fairly average Meath side. Still think the dubs with nick this game by a point or two.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3347 - 15/04/2014 15:59:53    1575567

Dublin have a superb team with All Ireland senior medalists among them. One thing we will not do is take the Dubs on in a shootout. The only way we might be able to do it is with our solid defensive system in place, but it will take a momentous effort, one lapse in concentration against a team of this calibre and we will be punished. This Dublin team contains something we have not faced before. Pace. Ulster football is slow and dogged with an emphasis on possession. The likes of Mannion and McCaffrey have pace to burn and could be round a man in the blink of an eye.

But with our rock solid defence we may be able to rattle them. I reckon if we can go in at half time level, they'll grow frustrated if we can keep our concentration and discipline.

Ned_Stormcrow (Cavan) - Posts: 1071 - 15/04/2014 16:06:33    1575571

Dublin also won't sit back like Donegal and Monaghan. They will play direct, like Cork did last year and Galway in 2011.. Cavan have a very good defence, hopefully the forwards will be on song.

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2763 - 15/04/2014 16:30:52    1575579

"as been said the dubs were less than great against fairly average Meath side."

Be careful with this line of form lads. That was no average Meath team. They had three forwards that will backbone the Meath seniors for many years to come and were very strong down the middle. This is indeed a very good Dublin panel. The good thing for us is that it is more likely to be an open game which I think will suit us. They will attack in numbers and with speed, but there will be gaps behind them. It was nice to get the four in a row, but getting through Ulster was a means to an end for us. We must trust our ability and produce enough quality football to compete with Dublin. We are a proud football county and have been absent at National level for too long. Our players need to be exposed to attacking football so that, win or lose, the experience will stand us well for the future. I firmly believe that if we open up we can more than match them.

ondforty (Cavan) - Posts: 460 - 15/04/2014 16:48:01    1575591

It's great to get this far again . One of the reasons I didn't think we would was because I didn't think we had the firepower to keep a run going . However we're here now having largely done it without having a whole lot to write home about regarding our forward play . There is undoubted talent there and as the old saying goes , they're due a good game . I really hope the team can click on the day . Best of luck Saturday and really looking forward to the game!

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 15/04/2014 16:57:51    1575597

Scorers for Dublin: C Costello 0-5 (3fs); S Carthy, C McHugh 0-3 (1f) each; G Burke 0-2; E Lowndes, N Scully 0-1 each

Scorers for Meath: B O'Brien 0-4; S Mattimoe 0-3 (2fs); S McEntee, J Wallace, B McMahon (f) 0-1 each

DUBLIN: L Molloy, R McDaid, D Byrne, R McGowan, J Small, P O'Higgins, J McCaffrey, S Carthy, S Cunningham, N Scully, E Lowndes, C Costello, P Mannion, M Deegan, C McHugh. Subs: S Boland for Deegan (24), G Burke for Cunningham (ht), E Ó Conghaile for Costello (47), S Cunningham for Higgins (54).

MEATH: A Colgan, D McQuillan, C McGill, S Carty, B Power, S Melia, S McEntee, C Sheridan, A Flanagan, N Shortall, B O'Brien, P Harnan, J Wallace, B McMahon, S Mattimoe. Subs: C Finn for McQuillan (40), A Burke for Carty (46), O Fitzpatrick for Power (52), B Dardis for McEntee (55)

Will be interesting to see if O Conghaile starts against Cavan, he has been carrying an injury for a while. Excellent midfield player. I think if Meath had Eamon Wallace fit it would have been a lot closer. There was some decent forwards like Boony O Brien and Mattimoe, some poor wides at the same time.

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2763 - 15/04/2014 17:11:56    1575610

Folks, Dublin are 2/5 favourite and the men who make the odds are usually not that far out. However, 2/5 shots have been turned over and if our forward line reach a level not yet achieved so far this year then we have a real shot at it.

kildare blue (Cavan) - Posts: 578 - 15/04/2014 18:16:08    1575653

I hope I am wrong but I just cant see Cavan winning this game... Dublin have 6 attackers who can score and we certainly dont... As I said before our system of play will get us by most teams but wont get us past the more quality teams... After our previous 3 Ulster wins we have only managed a more than lucky win v Wexford in a semi-final.. Its time we got over a big team at this stage to show progression but they will find it very difficult... Heres hopeing good luck lads

Sean66 (Cavan) - Posts: 440 - 15/04/2014 20:47:08    1575735

I think if Cavan gets the tatics right and a few changes we will have a very good chance of winning this game,, i would have Moynagh in the half forward line and have O Hara playing sweeper as he done well when he came on against Donegal,, i would start Hayes, with him and Dillon up front and Moynagh supplying ball to them it would take a lot of pressure of our defences , i think the addition of Moynagh play more of an attacking role could be the differences of us winning this game. Best of Luck to the lads Saturday!!!!

goonie (Cavan) - Posts: 308 - 15/04/2014 21:03:17    1575740

Is Nevin O'Donnell fit yet?

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 15/04/2014 21:39:35    1575757

A lot of negatives in some of the above posts.
Anyone with any positives ?
We've beaten Derry, Tyrone,Monaghan and Donegal.
A lot of tidy scalps to have on your pole.
Surely to god we have a chance on Saturday ???

desagov (Cavan) - Posts: 208 - 16/04/2014 10:51:04    1575845

What about throwing big argue into full forward and letting him and dillon win ball in there. Argue hasnt been great in the last 2 games at midfield teams have been targeting him so a change might do him the world off good, hes well able to win ball and take a score as well.... himself and dillon in there could cause no end of problems

Breffni81 (Cavan) - Posts: 181 - 16/04/2014 11:06:38    1575862

Dublin better be on top form if they want to win. This Cavan team are disciplined, well drilled, have a brilliant level of fitness, great self belief, and will never give up. Best of luck Saturday lads. Bring on the Breffni roar!!!!!!!

cavan97 (Cavan) - Posts: 369 - 16/04/2014 11:21:27    1575873

Any chance of Sankey being back would be a big help? If O Donnell is fit he is surly worth trying inside or even on the bench and can hit frees?

footie1 (Cavan) - Posts: 51 - 16/04/2014 11:31:30    1575881

I would agree with Goonie above that if the forward line was reshuffled that we will do well. I know people say Dublin are an awesome outfit but had Meath taken their chances they could have beaten the Dubs. They are a big team and have dangerous forwards like Costelloe and Mannion. But remember we have the best defence that I have seen on any Cavan team in a long many years. They completely snuffed out Derry, Tyrone, Monaghan and Donegal forward lines. Not an easy task and never conceded even one goal.
Argue and Buchannan will hold their own with the Dubs and might even shade it. So not worried there.

The forward line needs a bit of re-jigging. Apart from Joe Dillon , Tom Hayes and maybe Paul Graham we dont look like scoring a lot. McVeety and Watson play more as defenders so we may need another scoring forward. As lots of posters mentioned Nevin O'Donnell is a big mobile forward who can score. And he maybe whats needed against the physical Dubs.
Our bench looks good also with guys like Byrne, Hessin , O'Hara etc and big Greg McGovern. Such a pity we havent Conor Madden and Brian Sankey. Its still a great squad !!
I am very optimistic for Saturday and with a big Cavan following I think we can beat them.
Cavan Abu!!

Brownred (Cavan) - Posts: 229 - 16/04/2014 13:48:27    1575964

Since when is O'Donnell the man to get scores? He played inside forward in the Ulster Final in 2012 and then the All Ireland Semi Final, don't think he got a score from play in either. He can't even make the panel at the moment and he was fit for selection for the Ulster Final.

I would also think that management need to seriously consider Bouchier's place on the starting 15, he's not been performing especially with free taking duties. There's no point in constantly bleating on about the strength of our panel if we don't use it to freshen up the side when players aren't performing. Going toe to toe with this Dublin side would be suicide so we need to smother them and frustrate them up front. But we will need to take a very high percentage of our scoring chances and have a good day on the free kicks.

Inactive x5 (Cavan) - Posts: 1452 - 16/04/2014 18:58:28    1576122

Yeah take Bouchier off the team because the bench is full of free takers. Bouchier is probaly the only right footed free taker on the team or panel, Hessin or Hayes dont take frees.. Argue can take fees but not that reliable. I would leave bouchier on the team, his general play has been good. He might have some luck with the freew Saturday. O Donnell would be a help with the left footed frees. No left footed player in the side to take frees, which was putting added pressure on Bouchier , taking frees from the wrong side with the right foot..

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2763 - 16/04/2014 20:54:26    1576159

Fairly sure O Donnell scored in that minor final. Is he still on the panel does anyone know.

fredflint (Cavan) - Posts: 1483 - 16/04/2014 21:02:19    1576163