Last year represented the inaugural year of Eamonn Coleman's reign as boss of Cavan's senior football team. Here's how his troupe fared. 2004 will not go down in the annals of the Cavan senior football team as one of its most glorious but positives can be extricated nonetheless. In a trophy-less season, Eamonn Coleman and co at least managed to bed themselves down; get to know the players and assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of their squad and identify a way forward. Despite a lot of effort and commitment by all concerned with the senior team, results were poor overall last year though. The team's erratic form in the McKenna Cup at the start of the year was, in hindsight, a taste of what the county was to experience over the course of the entire year. Wins over Queens University (3-14 to 0-12), Fermanagh (2-12 to 1-11) were undone by a final game defeat against Donegal (1-7 to 0-14) in Ballyshannon which ended the team's hunt of silverware in that particular competition. But it was plain to see that under auspices of team-trainer Martin McElkennon, the Breffni Blues were getting fitter by the game. However their display in the National League Division 1B opener away to Sligo saw other aspects of the team's make-up in more obvious need of attention. And after watching Cavan slump to a 0-9 to 2-12 defeat, new Cavan supremo Eamon Coleman didn't much look like a man benefiting from a honeymoon period as he departed rain-lashed Markievicz Park in the first week of February. Cavan were at their best in the early stages of the first half, edging their way into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead despite conceding a point after just 10 seconds. However a 14th minute penalty conversion by Paul Taylor thereafter helped ease Sligo into a 1-4 to 0-5 interval lead. A typically classy Gerald Pierson point in the 38th minute hinted at a Cavan renaissance but the visitors didn't follow up Pierson's point until a further 17 minutes had elapsed. Crucially while Cavan thread deep water, the Connachtmen hit a real purple patch to tag on a goal and five points in impressive style before bagging their match-clinching second goal after 43 minutes. Eamon Coleman's teething problems as Cavan's new football boss continued the following week with a 0-7 to 0-11 defeat to Limerick at Kingscourt. It was a match which produced a tally of fourteen yellow cards and a tally of 78 frees plus two sendings off. Overall though it was the home side's indiscipline and patent weaknesses in defence and attack which conspired to cement their place at the bottom of the group. Cavan actually led by 0-5 to 0-3 at the break despite playing into a gusting breeze but the double Cavan dismissal in the 55th and 60th minutes of Pearse McKenna and Anthony Forde respectively served to irrevocably change the tide. Cavan's beleaguered defence lost their shape almost completely in the final ten minutes of ordinary time and Limerick chipped over points in the 26th, 27th, 29th and 32nd minutes to ease their way to victory. Cavan suffered their third successive defeat on February 15th when two goals by Raymond Magee in the 20th and 24th minutes of the first half consigned the blues to a 0-12 to 2-11 defeat in front of nearly 8,000 fans in Navan. By the half-way stage, Cavan trailed by 0-6 to 2-4 and but for two fine saves by Elliott, matters could have been even worse by that juncture. It was a case of deja vu as the second half got underway with Cavan flattering to deceive in taking the game to their opponents early on. A fine Jason Reilly point after just four minutes of the second half, hinted at a possible rejuvenation for the blues but the words false and dawn quickly came into vision. In a desperately frustrating final quarter for Cavan, their opponents portrayed all their renowned cockiness and self-assuredness as they notched five points in almost as many minutes to put the tie beyond doubt. In the first week of March, Cavan showed a marked improvement in their form in their Division 1B campaign when, at Kingspan/Breffni Park, they trounced Armagh to win in a canter in front of some 6,500 fans. The Breffni Blues hadn't found the net on their previous three NFL outings this year but the recalled Finbar Reilly netted a brace and old reliable Jason Reilly chipped in with another. Despite being shorn the services of injured trio Dermot McCabe, Gerald Pierson and Peter Reilly, the homesters held all the aces especially in front of goal where Jason and Finbar Reilly recorded 2-7 of Cavan's final tally. The second half was exhibition stuff for the formerly goal-shy Cavan men with Finbar Reilly's goal two minutes after the restart all but putting Coleman's charges all but out of sight and in with a shout of avoiding relegation. On the 14th March Jason O'Reilly scored the goal as Eamon Coleman's side earned a much deserved 1-11 each draw down in Wexford Park. The Blues second last game was a 1-9 to 1-11 defeat at home to Laois. In Siberian-like conditions, the opening 35 minutes barely simmered but then suddenly in the space of two minutes the game came to the boil. Ironically, it was two of Cavan's late call-ups who cooked and duly served up the opening goal of the game. A superb delivery forward by Sean Johnston in the 17th was fetched by exciting youngster Sean Brady who advanced three strides before rifling the ball from 16 metres into the back of the Laois net to help propel the Breffni Blues into a 1-3 to 0-3 lead by the 26th minute but that was Cavan's final score of the half and eventually they went in at the break 1-3 to 1-6 in arrears. Two Larry Reilly points inside the first 12 minutes of the restart promised much for the homesters but Laois continued to keep their necks ahead and a point by the rampaging Tom Kelly and a late, late effort by man of the match Munnelly thereafter closed the door on Cavan's salvage operation. Any hopes of surviving in Division 1 disappeared as a late comeback fell short, with Galway winning out by 2-12 to 2-11 at Kingspan Breffni Park. Jason O'Reilly and Mark McKeever were the goalscorers. A championship clash with Down is renowned as a pulse-quickener and last May's 1-13 to 1-13 draw in front of 20,000 fans at Casement Park was a real cracker. On a billiard table-type pitch, the football was as bright as the day itself and the game bubbly which did the counties' age-old rivalry justice. Cavan cut a dash though in the opening quarter but still only led by the minimum, 0-5 to 0-4. Down were unfortunate not to steal into the lead moments later when championship debutant Eoin McGrattan saw his shot for goal brilliantly saved by Eoin Elliott. The tide then seemed to turn Down's way in the 25th when Benny Coulter drilled the ball low into the corner of the net past the diving Elliott. Trailing by 0-5 to 1-4, Coleman and co. needed a break at this stage and they duly got it with the dismissal in the 33rd minute of Down corner-back Michael Higgins. Cavan's team-management decided to use Gowna's Mark McKeever as the 'spare' man at the back, a decision which looked alright until McKeever's pace and incisiveness began to be missed in attack until he was pushed up front late in the second half. Cavan were slow out of the traps in the second half and soon fell behind by 0-8 to 1-8. There was still three points in it, 0-10 to 1-10 after Larry Reilly converted a free for Cavan in the 16th minute but then Hughes, with his 4th point, a minute later put further pressure on the Cavanmen. Another Hughes point in the 50th minute served to leave Cavan looking at a four point deficit for the second time in the game. However with 24 minutes played of the second half, Cavan got just the spur they needed to get right back in the game when master poacher Jason Reilly goaled to cut Down's lead to the minimum, 1-10 to 1-11. Cavan seemed to be heading for victory thereafter when Lyng converted a free and then fisted over a point just two minutes later to leave Down trailing by 1-11 to 1-12. However a point by Dan Gordon for Down made it all-square. The momentum seemed to be with Down but bang on cue, the in-form Gowna hitman Gerald Pierson popped up to hammer home an injury-time point which looked like sealing the issue for the Breffni Blues. However Down failed to throw in the towel and just a minute later John Clarke joined the Down attack to equalise with practically the last kick of the game. Cavan's line-out, first time around against Down was; Eoghan Elliott; Eamonn Reilly, Darren Rabbitt, Paul Brady; Anthony Forde, Trevor Crowe, Anthony Gaynor; Pearse McKenna, Cathal Collins; Larry Reilly (0-1), Michael Lyng (0-6, four frees), Mark McKeever; Gerald Pierson (0-3), Jason Reilly (1-2), Sean Johnston (0-1). Subs; Karl Crotty for Collins (51); Peter Reilly for Johnston (60). In the replay on May 29th at the newly refurbished Kingspan/Breffni Park, the Breffni side turned on the style in the last quarter with former All-Star Dermot McCabe to the fore in defeating Paddy O'Rourke's Down side on a scoreline of 3-13 to 2-12. Ironically, by half-time Cavan's bid for provincial championship honours looked to be going up in smoke as they trailed by 0-7 to 2-6 with a brace of Benny Coulter goals wreaking havoc. But Cavan's very own Red Adair - introduced at the start of the second half - combined with his chief fire officers Peter Reilly and Cathal Collins thereafter to engineer Cavan's eventual four point win. The turnaround in the game after the restart was barely imaginable with the Three Amigos combining with their rejuvenated colleagues to shoot down the Mourne County in a thrilling shoot-out as Cavan outscored their opponents by 3-4 to 0-2 in the final 19 minutes to advance to the semi-final. In a dramatic encounter which saw Cavan captain Larry Reilly and Down defender Adrian Scullion both dismissed in a turbulent second half, the home side trailed by seven points after 53 minutes. Earlier, Down's talisman Benny Coulter saw his two first half goals gave the visitors a cushioned lead at the interval which didn't augur well for a home win. Collins added a zest and a degree of physicallity in the last line of defence while Reilly, even while visibly dragging his problem right leg, provided a level of vision and finishing becoming of his 1997 form. Above all though, Dermot McCabe's towering presence at the edge of the square, his distribution and, specifically, his execution of his goal in the 58th minute was most effective in pulling the carpet from under Paddy O'Rourke's side. Having retrieved a four points deficit in Casement Park in the drawn game and a seven point gap in the replay, the Cavan team (average age 21) certainly endeared itself to even its most hard-pleased fans. Eamon Coleman's side had led by 0-5 to 0-3 after 20 minutes but weren't convincing leaders. Indeed, the Blues' first half display was far from the fiery, passionate and potent effort seen in the second 35 minute period. On a perfect day for football, the teams were level at 0-3 apiece on the quarter-hour mark before a fine point from play by Pierce McKenna and a free by Michael Lyng edged Cavan in front. However the Mourne County upped the ante to go 1-5 to 0-6 in front and at that juncture another draw looked on the cards. However things took a turn for the worst for the Breffni Blues and a clearcut defeat looked on as just three minutes later Coulter bagged his second goal to help propel his side into a commanding 2-6 to 0-7 lead at the interval. Then disaster struck for the homesters in the 51st minute when captain Larry Reilly received his second yellow card for a foul on Dan Gordon. Now chasing down a 0-8 to 2-9 deficit, Cavan's hopes looked far from bright. However in a terrific, purple patch period the Blues proceeded to outscore their opponents by 3-4 to 0-2 in the last 19 minutes. The erstwhile hesitancy and laboured approach in the last third of the field was replaced by a sharpness and a directness of play which Down simply couldn't get to grips with. McCabe's wonder goal in the 23rd minute - after he outfielded his marker Scullion before rifling the ball home from 18 metres - and then the dismissal of Down's Scullion (for a foul on McCabe) one minute later helped change the tide in Cavan's favour. Cavan were on a roll now and a converted free by Lyng followed by a trademark effort by Jason Reilly in the 26th minute suddenly left Down just 2-10 to 1-12 in front. And although Daniel Hughes made it a two point game moments later, Cavan sensed the day was theirs and Peter Reilly's goal with five minutes remaining in the game - after a quick free by Lyng - plus Jason Reilly's major with 36 seconds left to play sent shell-shocked Down crashing out of the Ulster championship. Cavan's victorious squad that featured in the win over Down was; E Elliott; E Reilly, D. Rabbitt, P Brady; K Crotty, A Gaynor, A Forde; T Crowe (0-1), P McKenna (0-1); L Reilly, M Lyng (0-5, all frees), M McKeever (0-3, two frees); G Pierson, J Reilly (1-3), S Johnston. Subs; C Collins for E Reilly (h/t); D McCabe (1-0) for Pearson (h/t); P Reilly (1-0) for Johnston (h/t); R Donohoe for Brady (55); S Brady for McKeever (71). Cavan were now through to the Ulster SFC semi-final and a clash with Armagh in Clones which was played out in front of 28,000 sun-splashed fans on the 13th of June. Few gave the Breffni side any chance but at the end of the match it was the plucky blues got their backs slapped by partisan supporters and neutrals. Sadly the 0-13 to 0-11 scoreline in Armagh's favour spelt the end of Cavan's provincial championship campaign. The Breffni Blues went into the game as raging underdogs and having lost midfielder Pearse McKenna after a red card offense after less than a minute, their odds on winning lengthened considerably. However Eamon Coleman's men proceeded to very nearly upset the odds and it was only the overall inexperience of the team, a couple of crucial errors up front in the final ten minutes plus the rich dividend reaped from Armagh's bench which denied the blues a deserved victory. The pre-match suggestions that Cavan needed to play to their potential and Armagh needed to have an off-day for the script to be torn up certainly rang true at St. Tighernach's Park as the game virtually went to the wire. As things turned out, it was only three unanswered points in second half added-on time which allowed the Orchard County to scrape past the challenge of a 14-man Cavan which had conjured up an unlikely two point lead with just eight minutes remaining in the game. After the trauma of McKenna's sending off and the inevitable settling down period, Cavan couldn't have been too unhappy about going in at the interval trailing by just 0-4 to 0-5. Cavan went onto lead by 0-11 to 0-9 by the 66th minute when Gerald Pierson was put through by Jason Reilly but the former's shot was tipped away to safety by the fingertips of the diving Armagh 'keeper Paul Hearty. One point still separated the sides at the commencement of the five minutes of added-on time with Cavan desperately seeking to book their place in the provincial decider for the first time since 2001. It wasn't to be for the battling blues though as Martin O'Rourke set up Oisin McConville for the equaliser in the 71st minute and then further points by subs Diarmaid Marsden and Brian Mallon broke Cavan hearts. Cavan's line-up against Armagh was; Eoghan Elliott; Cathal Collins, Darren Rabbitt, Rory Donoghue; Anthony Forde, Anthony Gaynor, Karl Crotty; Pearse McKenna, Trevor Crowe; Larry Reilly (0-3, one free), Michael Lyng (0-4, all frees), Mark McKeever; Jason Reilly, Peter Reilly, Gerald Pierson (0-3). Subs; Dermot McCabe (0-1, one free) for Peter Reilly (29mins); Michael Brides for Donoghue (35mins); Shane Cole for Trevor Crowe (62mins); Sean Johnston for Jason Reilly (71mins). Cavan ended their championship football campaign in tame fashion after they allowed hosts Derry off the hook in normal time and then totally collapsed in extra-time in an extraordinary round two All-Ireland SFC qualifier at Celtic Park. The disappointing Breffnimen were outplayed for most of the match and ended up losing by 2-9 to 0-25. Cavan never hit the high notes yet led by two points with less than two minutes left to play in ordinary time. The blues conceded a last second equaliser and then failed to score at all in the twenty minutes-plus of extra-time to exit the competition in tame fashion. The day hosted the proverbial horror show for Cavan with the team failing to score for the last 30 minutes of the contest. In contrast, Derry enjoyed a scorefest with 11 unanswered points, most of them from play. Hauled back in the 68th minute by a point by Derry full-back Niall McCusker, the Breffni Blues' challenge fairly imploded thereafter. Cavan were out-gunned throughout the game and yet could have booked their place in the next round if they had shown a bit more guile, resolve and tactical nous in the dying minutes of normal time. As things eventually panned out, Derry's late, late effort seemed to drain all Cavan's belief, confidence and ambition as tired legs and tired minds kicked in in overtime. Defending the Brandywell end of the ground, Cavan got off to a bad start but enjoyed a slice of luck to go in level at half-time. Cavan goaled after the Oak Leaf netminder telegraphed his attempted fisted clearance and allowed the alert Gerald Pierson to intercept and blast the ball to the empty net. Cavan gained confidence from their fortuitous goal and they almost goaled again in the 36th minute but Gerard O'Kane managed to deflect Mark McKeever's piledriver over the bar. The hard core Cavan fans who made the journey north must have been rubbing their eyes as the scoreboard confirmed that their charges were on level terms, 1-4 to 0-7 at half-time. Team-manager Coleman bit the bullet and introduced talisman Dermot McCabe into the fray five minutes into the second half, the scene appeared set for another narrow escape to victory for Cavan. Coleman doubtless hoped that McCabe would help curb the overwhelming influence wielded in the first half around the middle by Derry's Fergal Doherty (especially) and Johnny McBride. Sadly, the succession of niggling injuries which he has suffered over the last couple of years seems to have finally caught up with the flame-haired Gownaman and it was clear he was only half-fit and a pale shadow of his former All-Star best. Still an unlikely victory remained on the cards for Coleman and co. as the second half garnered pace. And even though the homesters raced into a four point lead, 0-11 to 1-4 within nine minutes of the restart, the McKeever-inspired visitors reeled them in with passion and purpose. It was McKeever who kick-started the Cavan revival with a brilliant long-range effort in the 17th minute of the second half after Padraig O'Kane was caught in possession. With 19 minutes played of the second half, the blues leaped into an astonishing 2-7 to 0-11 lead after a clinical goal by Jason Reilly set the scene alight. And although Derry later squared matters at 0-13 to 2-7 with ten minutes left to play, the momentum still seemed to be with Cavan as McKeever and Micheal Lyng continued to do well under the 'breaking' ball. Indeed McKeever's third point of the day in the 28th minute seemed set to signal an extended championship season for Cavan. An away victory looked on the cards as added-on time began but then defender McCusker came out of nowhere to plunder a dramatic equaliser, 0-15 to 2-9. Incredibly McKeever's gloriously struck point was to be his side's final point of the evening as Derry determinedly drove Cavan through the exit door. As the game meandered its way to a conclusion via a pedetrian final ten minutes, Cavan tried all the cards in their hand to effect a Lazarus-like revival but it wasn't to be. 2005 threatens to be a watershed season for the current squad but, injury free and replete with a maturing set of skilled youngsters, Cavan may well surprise pundits province, and country, wide. The Cavan crew which took on Derry in the qualifiers was; Eoghan Elliott; Shane Cole, Darren Rabbit, Eamon Reilly; Anthony Forde, Anthony Gaynor, Karl Crotty; Trevor Crowe, Cathal Collins; Larry Reilly (0-1), Micheal Lyng (0-4, three frees), Mark McKeever (0-3); Michael Brides, Jason Reilly (1-0), Gerald Pierson (1-1). Subs; Dermot McCabe for Michael Brides (42mins); Rory Donohoe for Cathal Collins (47mins); Michael Hannon for Karl Crotty (55mins); Paul Brady for Eamon Reilly (74mins); Nicholas Walsh for Shane Cole (80mins); Sean Johnston for Gerald Pierson (80mins). Tweet

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