The world's greatest field game is more than just surving in Cavan, it is growing. It may not be flourishing but progress is definitely being made. Kevin Carney reports. Silverware might have been conspicuous by its absence in Cavan's cabinet in 2003 but the burgeoning talents of the county's finest young hurlers were nevertheless very much to the fore while at adult level. Cavan acquited themselves well at both senior and under 21 levels despite being unable to field their best teams at vital junctures during the year. In hurling parlance, 2003 was a year arguably best remembered for the achievements of the all-conquering Mullahoran Feile crew and of Conor Rabbitt in representing his country on the Irish Hurling/Shinty team. However all belonging to the hurling movement in the county deserve great credit for their promotion of the game, especially those who overseen what was a long and ardous senior and under 21 season. The past season itself didn't get off to that promising a note though with the news that long-serving senior player Tommy Smith (Denn) had decided to hang up his hurl. Smith's loss was compounded by the relocation to other climes of Dermot Plunkett, thus breaking a ten year link with the county team. In addtion, another key player, Dominic Crudden was Germany bound for work purposes so the loss of such a trio of experienced and talented stars hit hard at morale within the camp even before a sliotar was struck in anger in the National Hurling League. Pitted in Division 3B alongside Louth, Monaghan, Tyrone, Armagh and Donegal, Cavan would have wished for a better start to their campaign as they entertained Louth at Kingspan/Breffni Park in late February. A poor first half display by Cavan helped pave the way for the visitors Louth to secure both points with a 2-15 to 0-7 vin. In what was the proverbial game of two halves, the host side allowed their opponents to dictate matters in the first half before turning the game on its head on the restart and matching the Wee County score for score. In truth, the game was over as a contest by the time the gloriously named referee, Roger Anthony (Derry), blew the short whistle. Backed by a stiffening breeze and using a distinct edge in pace to good advantage, the Leinstermen simply steamrolled their way into the lead after just four minutes and never let-up 'till the interval. Top-scorer Sean Byrne got the red and whites off the mark in the 4th minute with a point. By half-time, the match-favourites had added another 2-9 while Cavan could only record two points. In fairness to Cavan, Louth had most of the play for long periods of the first half. That said Louth had the good fortune to get their brace of goals at very opportune times and the loss through injury of Kevin Downes was a real blow to the Breffni Blues. Given the fact that Louth had the wind at their backs in the opening 35 minutes, Cavan needed to keep things very tight at the back in the opening minutes but Louth were already three points to the good before Kevin Downes converted a free to open Cavan's account after ten minutes. Cavan tried manfully to make the best use of limited possession but it wasn't until the 20th minute that they scored their second point when Peter Kelly did well to make room for himself before rifling the sliotar over the bar. Kelly's effort cut Cavan's deficit to five points but in the next three minutes disaster struck when Louth cut through for a brace of goals to leave Walsh's charges with a mountain to climb. From there to the interval, it was very much a case of damage limitation for the hosts as Louth grew in confidence and Cavan heads seemed to understandably go down a tad. Three further points in the dying minutes rammed home Louth's advantage and at the break, Cavan faced into a 0-2 to 2-10 deficit. Thankfully the second half was a much more uplifting experience for Cavan. Alas the elements contrived to die down somewhat but, nevertheless, the blues got the bit between their teeth and gave a good account of themselves on the restart. As things transpired, it was Louth who led the way once again in the scoring stakes on the restart with points by Paul Dunne (free) and Paul Dyas adding to Cavan's woes. A brace of converted frees by Limerick native Dave Sullivan in the 12th and 18th minutes helped Cavan's morale though and as Louth understandably lifted their feet off the gas somewhat, Cavan proceeded to edge matters in the possession stakes. A fine point from play by Dominic Crudden in the 21st minute added to Cavan's growing confidence but the goals the homesters needed to really put it up to their opponents never materialised. Instead Cavan had to make do by finishing with a brace of frees from the aforementioned Sullivan. Cavan's shortcomings in attack cost them dear the next time out too when they lost by 0-5 to 0-7 to Monaghan at Gavan Duffy Park. That the spoils eventually went the home side's way can be put down principally to their much more efficient and productive use of the sliotar in the last third of the pitch. In a predictably niggly derby affair, long-serving Monaghan player Robbie Healy was the first player to get his marching orders but despite his loss, the home side proceeded to chalk up a 0-4 to 0-3 lead at the interval. As in the first half, Cavan Gaels star Kevin Downes was the only player to score for the visitors and all his five points came from dead-ball situations. It was a brace of points by the aforementioned Downes inside the opening ten minutes of the second half that actually edged Cavan into the lead for the first time in the game. Now facing into the stiffening breeze, Cavan's defence began to come under increased scrutiny but when their opponents were reduced to 13 players, Cavan seemed to get a significant lift. However by the time Cavan's Pat Geoghegan was sent off for a second booking, Monaghan had virtually secured a vice-like grip on the game and Cavan found themselves unable to overturn matters from there to the death. Later in mid-March, the Breffni Blues suffered a demoralising 0-6 to 2-17 defeat at home to Tyrone. The home side conceded weight, height, experience and skill and were overwhelmed as a result. Kevin Downes (free) and Mark McEntee were Cavan's only scorers in the first half as Tyrone romped to a 2-8 to 0-2 interval lead. Cavan did manage to add four points in the second half with Declan Murphy's effort and one from Dave Sullivan the pick of the bunch. It was, nevertheless, a game to forget for Cavan hurling enthusiasts. A fabulous 0-10 tally by Cavan's 2002 Hurler of the Year, Kevin Downes, helped propel Cavan to a tremendous 4-10 to 2-12 win over Fermanagh in the next round. The visitors shocked Fermanagh in the opening 19 minutes by firing in three goals with Micheal Murphy helping himself to a double-quick brace in the 6th and 9th minutes. Defending a 3-6 to 1-7 lead on the restart, Cavan came under a consistent degree of pressure but Cavan held firm though and when Declan Murphy availed of some sloppy defensive work by Fermanagh in the 42nd minute to notch Cavan's fourth goal, the issue was all but done and dusted. Cavan hurlers suffered an agonising defeat in their opening game of the second section of the league at Carrick-on-Shannon when they conceded a last minute point to the homesters to lose out by 1-8 to 1-9. Just when it seemed as if the Breffni Blues were about to claim a well-deserved draw, Leitirm wing-back Fintan McKiernan stole forward to fire over what proved to be the decisive score of the match. McKiernan's winner was worthy of any match but it was still rough justice on Tom Walsh's side who played some of their best hurling of the season to date. Indeed, for long periods of the match it appeared as if the visitors were on track to lift both league points. Inspired by the excellent marksmanship of Cavan Gaels clubman Kevin Downes and powered forward from midfield by Philip Brady, Cavan led by 0-6 to 0-4 at the interval with the aforementioned Downes accounting for four of his side's tally at that juncture. Leitrim rallied in the second half and nipped ahead only for a scrambled goal by Drumgoon clubman Aidan Fitzpatrick to make it all-square with just four minutes left. Leitrim threw everything forward though and in a last-gasp effort at snatching victory, tigerish defender Fintan McKiernan strode forward to send over the winning score. It was heartbreak again for Walsh and co. when they lost at home to Donegal by 2-5 to 2-15. Donegal started in flying fasion but gradually Cavan secured a more solid footing in the tie and their hopes of nicking the initiative from their opponents were swelled when Dave O'Sullivan pounced to drive the sliotar to the Donegal net after 16 minutes. Donegal were rattled by the goal but not for long and a hat-trick of unanswered points duly restored the equilibrium. Cavan continued to dig deep and a brace of points by Kevin Downes added to their momentum. The homesters then got truly back in the match in the 24th minute when seasoned campaigner Aidan Fitzpatrick poached a fine goal to leave Donegal on edge. Tom Walsh's crew failed to build on Fitzpatrick's goal however and, instead, it was Donegal who finished the half with a flourish with Kevin Dow goaling just minutes from the interval to fire his side into a 1-7 to 2-3 lead. Later with ten minutes remaining in the match, Cavan conceded three frees to Ronan McLaughlin in sloppy fashion which helped leave them trailing by 2-4 to 1-14. Donegal continued to hold the upper hand to the final whistle and another goal by the north-westerners helped decide the issue. And so to the Ulster Junior Championship where Cavan were drawn against Fermanagh. Even without key players, Mark McEntee and Donal Kennedy, Cavan proved the best side on the day, hurling with passion and pride to record a hard-fought two point victory over the Ernesiders at the Lisnaskea venue. In the semi-final, Cavan staged a grandstand finish but failed to prevent Down's second string from recording a 1-14 to 2-4 victory at Kingspan/Breffni Park last April. Cavan were on the backfoot for the most part of the first half, relying on making things pay from all too rare counter-attacks. As in previous clashes between the sides, Down's superior stickwork and ther slicker striking of the ball shone through, especially in the opening half at the end of which the Breffni Blues trailed by 0-3 to 1-7. Down eyed up the winning post after cracking a goal home in the 18th minute which left Cavan trailing by 0-1 to 1-5. Despite the forceful play of Mark McEntee and substitute Philip Brady plus Dave Sullivan and Paul Sheridan further out the field, Cavab never really looked like turning the game around thereafter. Cavan's Mark McEntee pulled a point back in the 8th minute but when the same player had his shot for goal half-blocked in the 12th minute, the vista didn't look too bright for the homesters. The tigerish McEntee set the scene for an exciting last three minutes with an opportunist goal and then with one minute to play, Dave Sullivan rifled home a superb goal from all of 24 metres to close the gap to six points. But it was a textbook case of too little too late for Cavan as Down's Daniel McCusker popped over another point to close the scoring. The Cavan team which went down bravely to Down in the Ulster JHC semi-final was as follows: Donal Sheridan; James Briody, Donal Kennedy, Liam Rabbitt; Peter Kelly, Conor Rabbitt, Kevin Downes (0-2, one '65); Paul Sheridan (0-1), Pat Geoghegan (0-1); Joseph Donohoe, Brendan Sweeney, Dave Sullivan (1-0); Declan Murphy, Aidan Fitzpatrick, Mark McEntee (1-0). Subs; Kieran Kelly for Donal Kennedy; Philip Brady for Aidan Fitzpatrick; Barry Ryan for James Briody. Meanwhile Cavan experienced little luck and no joy at all in their bid to retain the Ulster Under 21 Shield title, going out of the competition at the semi-final stage at the hands of Armagh. In a frenetic affair at Casement Park before a big attendance in late June, the Tom Walsh-managed crew lost out by 2-6 to 0-15 in a match that was played as a curtain-raiser to the Armagh v Antrim All-Ireland SFC qualifier. Cavan were given a useful leg-up in their bid to go the distance in the competition for the second successive time when, on the eve of their first round game against Tyrone, the O'Neill County withdrew from the competition, thus affording Cavan a bye into the last four. In the run-up to the semi-final duel with Armagh, the omens weren't good for the Cavan camp. Including in their ranks, twelve players who figured in the county's NHL experience, the Cavan team was weakened when two of the team's top players, Barry Ryan and James Briody had to withdraw from the squad due to work commitments. The absence of the key duo was a blow to Cavan but, nonetheless, the blues started well against the Orchard County in Casement Park. After conceding the opening point of the game, Cavan responded with gusto and within minutes, a low ball was sent in to Tom Craig by midfielder Philip Brady. Craig did well to make a connection with the incoming ball and in a flash, the sliotar was nestling in the back of the Armagh net. And things got even better for the Breffni Blues less than a minute later when Kevin Downes make a great catch in midfield before parting to the aforementioned Craig who once again doubled on the sliotar to fire it to the net. From there to the interval, Cavan were forced onto the backfoot to a large degree and a seven point tally, including four converted frees, edged the Orchard County into the lead. Back came Cavan though and two converted frees and two from open play from Kevin Downes saw Cavan surge into a, albeit, narrow lead, 2-4 to 0-8, at the interval. The second half saw Cavan come under severe pressure as they sought to hang onto their lead. Cavan became increasingly pinned back in their own half and found launching potent counter attacks difficult. Cavan still headed their opponents entering the final quarter but, in the end, Armagh showed that bit more of a cutting edge in shooting seven second half points as opposed to Cavan's brace to secure their place in the decider at Cavan's expense. Tweet

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