2003 saw a parting of the ways between outgoing Mattie Kerrigan and Cavan Football Inc. It was a year also of unfulfilled promise as Kevin Carney reports. After serving just 18 months in the hot-seat, Cavan senior football team-manager Mattie Kerrigan upped anchor in mid-July last and sailed away from Port Breffni. A relationship that initially appeared destined to be consumated in the glorious surroundings of St. Tiernach's Park, Clones on provincial finals day had irrevocably broken down. Like all break-ups, it was a sad period for all parties but thankfully without any of the attendant recriminations. The Summerhill clubman and former All-Ireland senior medallist's decision to initiate the separation wasn't altogether unexpected though. The team-management had come in for some widespead criticisim from Cavan suppporters in the wake of the Breffni county's championship defeats to Donegal and Limerick in 2002 and to Antrim and Fermanagh last year. "My decision to step down wasn't a personal one. I discussed all the pros and cons with my selectors. "We had received a lot of criticism from various quarters of the county for losing the Antrim game and the Fermanagh one too and we took that into account," Kerrigan explained. 2003 was to have been a year of consolidation for Mattie Kerrigan and his backroom team of Martin Lynch, Mickey Reilly and Philip Phelan even if the Cavan boss hinted that he wouldn't be too disappointed if the blues didn't reach their second league final in a row: "As a management team, we have reviewed what we did last year and tailored our preparations accordingly this year. "We are aiming to ensure that our fellas aren't burned out come the summer," Kerrigan stated at the start of the year. But how to do well without doing really well is far from an exact science. Yet the team's Division 1B campaign did go almost as well as Kerrigan could have wanted. The team got off to the proverbial flyer at Newbridge in their first outing, showing true grit in recording a 3-10 to 2-10 victory over homesters Kildare. Cavan were no better than workmanlike in the first half and duly trailed by 0-8 to 1-7 at the interval. Still they looked like they had at least one goal in them with Jason Reilly looking especially potent on the ball. And as things transpired, the second half would see Cavan outscore Kildare on all fronts with Jason Reilly's 9th minute major putting his side back in pole position only for Fennin to net his second just three minutes later. Entering the final quarter, stalemate was the name of the game but just when it seemed Cavan were appeared on the cusp of caving into some intense pressure, Kildare proceeded to let their opponents off the hook by presenting them with a penalty. The spot kick decision arose after Mickey Graham was taken down in the square. Peter Reilly promptly dispatched the ball into the Kildare net to put his side three points in front and on their way to a deserved win. Cavan's rehabilitation from their 2002 woes continued in the next round with a convincing 1-16 to 0-7 win at home against an admittedly weak Meath side. The Breffni Blues were up for the match in a way that Meath never were. It was a local derby match alright, but there was only one team who seemed to recognise that fact. In front of almost 7,000 fans at Kingspan/Breffni Park, Meath were 0-0 to 0-3 behind before they got off the mark in the 12th minute when Daithi Regan pointed. Amazingly Regan was only one of two Meathmen to find the target over the 70 minutes, a true indictment of a powder-puff Royal County attack. It was the Meathmen who were faced with all the questions at the interval as they sought to chip away at a 0-3 to 0-8 deficit. True to form, the homesters comfortably consolidated their lead before appling the coup de gras in the 48th minute when playmaker supreme Larry Reilly and Jason Reilly combining to let Mickey Graham in for a clinical goal. Next time out though, kick and pants were the operative words as Cavan slumped to a 1-9 to 1-11 defeat to Fermanagh in Enniskillen. With Jason Reilly being forced to leave the field after just 14 minutes the omens weren't good early on for a third successive league win though. In a poor first half by the visitors, all three of their first half points came from frees, two of them from Dermot McCabe and the other from Gerald Pierson. Trailing by 0-3 to 0-8 on the restart, Cavan got a lift midway through the second half when Paul Galligan fed Mickey Graham for a goal which left Cavan trailing by just 1-4 to 0-10. Thereafter Cavan rolled up their sleeves in admirable fashion after Donnelly's goal and thanks to a free apiece by McCabe and Peter Reilly, a fisted point by Mickey Graham left it just a one-point game, 1-9 to 1-10, by the 71st minute. Sadly that was as close as Cavan came to rescuing the situation. Two weeks later and Cavan got back on the winning track at Kingspan/Breffni Park with a 1-16 to 0-11 win over Mayo. The Breffni Blues made all the running against a Mayo side and after being held at 0-2 points apiece with seven minutes played, they broke loose to lead John Maughan's side a merry dance. Dermot McCabe and Pearse McKenna lorded thing around the middle and after striding into a 0-7 to 0-3 lead at the interval, Cavan quickly went about consolidating their advantage with points by McCabe, Graham and James Clarke. Three fisted points in as many minutes by Sean Maguire, Larry Reilly and Paul Galligan appeared to catapult Cavan onto easy street, leading by 0-13 to 0-6, with 14 minutes left to play. Cavan continued to tease and taunt their opponents in the last quarter before eventually effecting the killer punch. Inevitably it was top goalscorer and second half sub. Jason Reilly who put the icing on the cake, when in the 66th minute, he collected a speculative lob forward from Dermot McCabe before slipping the ball underneath the prostrate Ruddy. In their next outing, Cavan delivered both a strong start and a frantic finish to deservedly scoop the spoils against Down on foot of a 1-13 to 1-10 win at Castlewellan. An early goal by Lavey's Sean Maguire served to leave Down trailing by 0-0 to 1-1. However eight unanswered points by the homesters in the second quarter left Cavan trailing by 1-4 to 0-9 at the break. It could have been worse for Cavan though as Down recorded 11 wides in the first half overall. And despite a Gregory McCartan penalty midway through the second half, Cavan dug deep with man of the match Paul Galligan firing over a brace of points and Finbar O'Reilly chipping in with one to level matters midway through the second half. The game proceeded to mirror the archetypal ebb and flow type of encounter but a glorious pair of points by Dermot McCabe and one from top man Paul Galligan proved just the send-off the Cavan fans wanted for the long journey home. It was exciting and dramatic stuff back at Kingspan/Breffni Park in Cavan's next game with a last minute converted penalty by team-captain Peter Reilly earning the homesters a 4-11 to 2-17 draw with table-toppers Laois in front of 6,000 sun-kissed fans. Laois were jet-propelled in the opening stages and were 0-5 to 0-0 ahead after just 12 minutes. However Cavan showed grit by the bucket load and a razor-sharp one-two between Jason Reilly and Larry Reilly in the 21st minute ended with the latter rifling home the opening goal of the game. Then in a whirlwind of excitement, two goals were scored in as many minutes with Jason Reilly netting for Cavan only for Laois 'keeper Fergal Byron to convert a penalty two minutes into added-on time to leave the visitors 1-10 to 2-5 to the good at the interval. The visitors seemed to be on the cusp of hanging on as they hung onto a three points lead with 35 minutes played but then their defence was forced into fouling livewire Graham in the box with seconds left to play, leaving Captain Fantastic Peter Reilly to step up to fire home the resultant penalty with practically the last kick of the game to ensure a share of the spoils. Sadly that was as good as it got for Cavan as they saw their league hopes dashed at home by a hungrier Sligo side courtesy of a 1-12 to 1-16 defeat with only Larry Reilly and Jason Reilly of the six forwards who started the match getting on the scoresheet. In additon to their shortcomings up front, Cavan simply couldn't match Sligo's passion and drive on the day. After an amazing first quarter burst which saw Jason Reilly bag a goal to help the blues into a 1-6 to 0-0 lead, Sligo proceeded to hit back with interest to the extent that they trailed by just 1-6 to 1-8 at the interval. However, by the 13th minute the teams were on level terms, 1-9 apiece and sixteen minutes later O'Hara raced through to give Sligo the lead for the first time. But there was to be no get-out clause for the Breffni Blues. As the final minutes ticked by the dismissal of Cavan defender Anthony Forde three minutes from time helped seal Cavan's fate. And so to the Ulster SFC and a mini-disaster as Antrim triumph by 2-9 to 1-10 at Casement Park, Belfast, the Saffrons' first win over the blues for 21 years. Seldom has a Cavan team played with so little conviction, confidence and, worse still, so little fire in their bellies. Two first half goals by championship rookie Darren O'Hare were real sickeners for Cavan. In between the goals, Madden bagged a brace of frees in the opening 17 minutes as the home side sped into a 1-4 to 0-1 lead with Dermot McCabe's 13th minute effort the Breffni county's sole reply. Cavan's nine wides tally in the opening 25 minutes reflected the visitors' impotency in front of goal. And not for the first time, Cavan's over-reliance on Gowna star Dermot McCabe to chip in with scores proved to be a damning indictment on the blues' attack collectively. However Antrim's failure to score from the 20th minute to the 39th minute appeared to open a window of opportunity for the Breffnimen and a great point by the inspirational McCabe in the 36th minute and another one by the same player two minutes later kept Mattie Kerrigan's side in touch. Cavan's improved play in the latter end of the first moiety ought to have reaped a greater dividend though and, minus talisman Gerald Pierson, they would ultimately rue their prolifigacy. Overall though it was a desperate first half for the match favourites and Antrim were full-value for their 2-6 to 0-4 interval lead. Cavan gradually get a greater grip on the exchanges around the middle of the field but it was also becoming increasingly obvious that they needed a goal to get into the driving seat. The superb Mark McKeever then stormed forward from his half-back berth to show his forwards how to do it with an inspirational point in the 11th minute to leave Antrim leading by 2-7 to 0-7. But the subsequent dismissal of Cavan's Larry Reilly in the 16th minute for a second yellow card offence dealt a severe blow to Cavan's hopes. Antrim were relying almost entirely on counter-attacking at this juncture but they did have the chance to bury the issue in the 27th minute but Kevin Madden's shot was brillantly saved by Aaron Donohoe. Thereafter a converted free by McCabe and the dismissal of Antrim midfielder Mark McCrory in the 33rd minute boosted Cavan's survival prospects. Cavan were now clearly in the driving seat and a converted free by McCabe - now operating at full-forward - and then a palmed goal in the 37th minute by the same player amazingly left just two points between the sides. But despite referee Mick Monaghan adding on five additional minutes and all five Cavan subs making a notable contribution, the blues failed to imitate Lazurus. And so, for the second year in a row, Cavan's senior footballers exited the Ulster SFC at the first hurdle. The Cavan side ousted by Antrim lined out as follows; Aaron Donohoe; Cathal Collins, Thomas Prior, Joey Jordan; Anthony Forde, Peter Reilly, Mark McKeever (0-1); Dermot McCabe (1-5, three frees), Sean Maguire; Paul Brady, Larry Reilly (0-1), Pierce McKenna; Mickey Graham, Patrick Brady, Paul Galligan. Subs; Finbar O'Reilly (0-1) for Maguire (22); Jason Reilly for Patrick Brady (35); Philip Smith (0-1) for Galligan (41); Sean Brady (0-1) for Graham (54); Damien Prior for Paul Brady (64). Never mind the quality, feel the tension could well have been the clarion call of Cavan fans as they witnessed their side secure a 1-12 to 2-7 win over a dispirited Louth side in the first round qualifier that followed the Antrim defeat. In the end it took above-average displays by seasoned veterans Dermot McCabe and Larry Reilly to secure a gritty win for Cavan over their lack-lustre opponents. The winners deserved to progress in the competition if only for their more consistent, purposeful display over the 70-minutes plus. The opening quarter set the tone of the game with a lot of huff and puff from both teams serving to mask some poor quality, if albeit, exciting football. Cavan led by 0-5 to 0-3 at the end of the first quarter but then man of the match Larry Reilly drove hard at the Louth defence and made it double scores with a fine point. For their part Cavan remained focussed on feeding full-forward McCabe at every opportunity and a huge point from the inspirational Gowna clubman in the 28th minute helped catapult the visitors into a 0-10 to 1-4 interval lead. However Paddy Carr's men got a lifeline just two minutes later when Mark Stanfield seemed to lose his footing when put under pressure by stand-in 'keeper Aaron Donohoe but referee Broderick awarded him a penalty. The otherwise below-par corner-forward did well to subsequently slot the ball cooly home from the penalty spot. Now leading by just 1-10 to 2-4, Cavan came under the cosh and were relieved to see McDonnell's shot richochet wide off the butt of the Cavan post. However Dermot McCabe's sixth point - awarded after a high challenge on Larry Reilly - steadied the Breffni ship. Appropriately, it was left to livewire Larry Reilly to show his opponents the art of efficient score-taking with a trademark pacy run down the middle and neat finish on the run to put the icing on the cake. The Cavan team that edged out Louth was; James Reilly (Drung); Cathal Collins (Cavan Gaels), Thomas Prior (Swanlinbar), Joey Jordan (Lavey); Anthony Forde (Cavan Gaels), Peter Reilly (Knockbride), Mark McKeever (Gowna); Pierce McKenna (Kill Shamrocks), Dermot McCabe (Gowna, 0-6, two frees); Sean Brady (Castlerahan), Larry Reilly (Knockbride,1-3), Paul Brady (Mullahoran, 0-1); Finbar Reilly (Lacken Celtic), Paddy Brady (Gowna), Gerald Pierson (Gowna, 0-2). Subs; Michael Hannon (Drumgoon) for Peter Reilly (inj); Aaron Donohoe (Belturbet) for James Reilly (inj); Paul Galligan (Ballinagh) for Sean Brady; Jason Reilly (Belturbet) for Gerald Pierson; James Clarke (Killinkere) for Paddy Brady. Sadly, come June 29th, the Breffni county produced arguably their poorest form of the year in exiting the race for the Sam Maguire Cup by dint of a 1-10 to 0-16 defeat to Fermanagh in round two of the qualifiers at Enniskillen. Dermot McCabe was Cavan's best performer by a distance over the piece but he failed to garner enough support to swing the issue Cavan's way. McCabe landed six points from frees while in addition it was his tenacity in intercepting a Fermanagh fisted pass across the square in the 27th minute which allowed Jason Reilly to pounce on the breaking ball and notch a timely goal for Cavan. In any event Cavan's challenge seemed to be floundering before Reilly struck gold - his effort hauling in Fermanagh's 0-7 to 0-3 lead. After Reilly's goal, Cavan fans doubtless looked forward to seeing their team slug it out toe to toe with their opponents. Sadly, Fermanagh proceeded to show much more hunger, resolve and readiness for the fight. That said, Cavan were always in with a shout and they had a chance of overturning Fermanagh's 0-8 to 1-4 lead in the 32nd minute but Hugh Brady executed a diving block on Jason Reilly's piledriver. By that stage, Dermot McCabe had been drafted out to midfield to try and counter the growing influence of Fermanagh's Martin McGrath in particular. Sadly Cavan could ill-afford to do without McCabe's influence at the business end of the field as Larry Reilly's influence began to evaportate. Two quick-fire frees by McCabe in the opening eight minutes of the second half offered hope to Cavan but Fermanagh's Ryan Keenan and Colm Bradley began to hit rich veins of form up front leaving Cavan on the cusp of the exit door. The pendulum swung back Cavan's way with a brace of frees by McCabe which served to cut Fermanagh's lead to 0-12 to 1-8 but that was as close as Cavan were to come to getting their noses ahead. Points by McGrath, Stephen Maguire and James Sherry regained the iniative for Fermanagh and now, more than ever, Cavan needed a goal to stop Fermanagh's run to the finishing line. The goal never came and, instead, it was Fermanagh who finished like the side desperate to stay in the competition. The Ernesiders seemed all too comfortable in maintaining their long-held three point cushioned lead. Cavan simply hadn't the firepower up front or the leverage from midfield to consistently threaten Fermanagh's ascendancy. And further back, apart from Anthony Forde who did a fine marking job on Raymie Gallagher, Cavan's defence looked shaky throughout. Even when a point apiece by Pierce McKenna and Dermot McCabe left just two points between the sides after 32 minutes, it was Fermanagh and not Cavan who looked likely winners. In the end, Colm Bradley's injury-time point proved to be one of the real few class points of the game. The Cavan players who featured against Fermanagh in the second round of the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers last Summer were; Aaron Donohoe; Cathal Collins, Thomas Prior, Joey Jordan; Paul Brady, Anthony Forde, Mark McKeever; Pearse McKenna (0-1), Patrick Brady; Sean Brady, Larry Reilly (0-3), Finbar O'Reilly; Jason Reilly (1-0), Dermot McCabe (0-6, all frees), Sean Johnston. Brady (42 mins); James Clarke for Finbar O'Reilly; Michael Hannon for Sean Brady (61 mins). Mattie Kerrigan's subsequent decision to quit took no one in the Breffni county by surprise. "We have no interest in making excuses for the poor displays in the championship but we did have to work with an injury-striken panel and I don't think people took that on board in evaluating the team's performances," he stated when stepping down. "Prior to the commencement of the national league, we found ourselves without five defenders, including the whole full-back line for various reasons. "There's not a county in Ireland that could afford to lose so many players as we did and hope to be successful. "I felt we did well to retain our division one status in the league but the pile-up of injuries to the likes of Jason (Reilly) and Gerald Pierson was hard to sustain," Kerrigan explained. Reflecting on his two years with Cavan, the approachable Meathman said he had absolutely no regrets linking up with Cavan and he would look back on victories such as those against Kildare (Newbridge), Meath (Breffni Park), Sligo (Markievitz Park) and Roscommon (2002 NFL semi-final) with particular fondness. The erstwhile county boss said he had no regrets that the outgoing team-management had deliberately employed a youth policy over the course of their stint at the helm. He was pleased to say that four of the 2002 county minor team featured against Fermanagh in the All-Ireland SFC qualifying round clash against Fermanagh at Enniskillen while eight of the team which figured against Antrim in the Ulster SFC first round clash at Casement Park will still be eligible to play at county under 21 level in 2004. Kerrigan's legacy is now Coleman's ammunition. Time will tell whether it all explodes in the Derryman's face or he ignites the commencementanother of another glorious episode in the history of Cavan football. Tweet

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