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Great win yesterday but we need to be wary of next week. A lot of people from other counties are already texting me like we are in an Ulster final. Take every game as it comes and Antrim are up next.
It's a definite potential banana skin. Our lads had a hard game yesterday where it appears the likes of T Galligan & Pierson picked up knocks whereas their players were nice and warm resting up at home.
Game is on BBC Two I'm told.
BreffniGuide (Cavan) - Posts: 474 - 01/11/2020 20:21:44
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Yeah, we definitely need to stay grounded. We'll be favourites to beat Antrim and I think rightly so. They shipped an absolute hammering from Wicklow a couple of weeks ago but as we proved on Saturday, league form counts for little now. They'll have been targeting this game from a long while back, whereas we wouldn't have looked past Monaghan.
Hopefully Galligan and Pierson are fit. I don't think we picked up any other injuries.
I'd go with largely the same team as the last day, but Galligan deserves to start. Faulkner back into the back line with K Brady to drop to the bench.
If Pierson isn't 100%, then Conroy should start. Was a bit harsh asking him to play centre back for 2 games then dropping him. He did well on Saturday when introduced.
I don't think Antrim have anyone to match Gearoid, Smith and Galligan around the middle. We should dominate possession and hopefully reflect that on the scoreboard.
I'll go for a Cavan win by 6 points.
cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5016 - 02/11/2020 07:40:50
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Well done to all team and management. We did have periods of poor quality in the game, but from Raymond Galligan to the subs, right up to Colin Gumley reeling in the years in the corner, you couldn't question the spirit of any of the players and that's all you can ask for. Great leadership & quality from our main men in McKiernan, Tom Galligan, Gerry Smith & Faulkner the difference.
I had said a few weeks ago as other posters thought the world was falling in, that the league offers very little basis for what a team is going to do in the c'ship, and the c'ship should be the focus and the measuring stick used for the progress of this team. With that result now, bar a loss to Antrim, Fermanagh, maybe Down (we'll see how they are looking this year), Mickey has justified his position with another big c'ship victory against a Division 1 team for the 2nd year in a row with a few good players not available this time around and a top class one in D McVeety. Definitely won the tactical battle also, although you would have to wonder at the Banty's thinking to abandon a running game that should be unaffected by wind and that had them about 6 points up after 40 minutes. The Banty will surely have to go.
Onto the next challenge, and while the players should focus on Antrim, as supporters we are free to speculate and we all know Antrim will be swept aside easily in the 2nd half. There are two challenges for Mickey now to show he has progressed on last year:
1. We have to maintain the consistency of the Monaghan performance to beat Down & Fermanagh. The exact same standard will beat either by about 3 points I would think
2. If point No. 1 has been a success, then we need to find something extra in an Ulster Final that we didn't have last year to keep us competitive and in the game against likely a Donegal with 10 mins to go.
I would expect us to fall down at point No. 2 again, but that will probably not be seen as a terrible outcome and would leave you going into next year with plenty of hope having made two Ulster finals in a row. And having been one of the few who leaped to Mickey's defense to calm a potential riot on here following the league relegation, I now feel best placed to move us all on from the congratulations and pointless talk of not taking Antrim for granted and point usback towards the analysis/the work-ons/the criticisms of Saturday, of which I have 5 below:
1. Monaghan tore through the middle of us leading to Galligan having to make 4 saves and scored 3 fisted points that were also goal oppurtunites. I had asked for Faulkner here to plug this hole rather than as a man marker and still think I right on that point. While this was happening and for the whole match bar the last 5 mins, Killian Clarke appeared to playing a role where he was following a player or the ball around the field and ending up in the forward line without much intent and a hole to be filled behind him as we got cut through on the various counter attacks. I am not sure what that role was he was playing but there are plenty of lads who didn't make the panel could have played that role just as well.
2. With a couple of different players tried on him, we did not look like we had anyone to handle the speedy corner forward Hanlon. It was only Monaghan's change of approach that put him out of the game really. No. 11 was also running riot on the 40 and it was the switch into to FF with McManus to get McManus out for more shoots that quietened him down too. Faulkner did an acceptable job on McManus I thought. Below his own high standards but acceptable. So we might only have 1 good man marker in that full back line (who is needed at No. 6). Again, I havent seen much of this famous Danny Cusack and sometimes the less lads play the better they get, but I wonder if there is any harm in taking a chance on the devil we dont know here, and the same with Timoney. They did it with TED in the forwards so why not in the backs.
3. Build up play was fairly slow and undirect. Long range points with the wind were our go to play from 1-3 onwards. A good team watching that will probably just play a higher line against and take more of a chance of conceding goals which we still dont really look dangerous from in spite of scoring two in 90 mins.
4. Martin Reilly and James Smith were not really in the game at all within the 70 minutes bar 1 point from play each. You would expect those two players to be on the ball alot more given their styles of play. Bit of tweaking needed to get them more into maybe?
5. Cormac Reilly seems to get whipped off when one of our more dangerous forwards while other quieter lads are left on. But I'll take Mickey's word on that one. Maybe he has Colm Boyle vests on them that beep over on the line when you have enough done.
PatTheDandy (Cavan) - Posts: 356 - 02/11/2020 11:38:41
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Replying To PatTheDandy: "Well done to all team and management. We did have periods of poor quality in the game, but from Raymond Galligan to the subs, right up to Colin Gumley reeling in the years in the corner, you couldn't question the spirit of any of the players and that's all you can ask for. Great leadership & quality from our main men in McKiernan, Tom Galligan, Gerry Smith & Faulkner the difference.
I had said a few weeks ago as other posters thought the world was falling in, that the league offers very little basis for what a team is going to do in the c'ship, and the c'ship should be the focus and the measuring stick used for the progress of this team. With that result now, bar a loss to Antrim, Fermanagh, maybe Down (we'll see how they are looking this year), Mickey has justified his position with another big c'ship victory against a Division 1 team for the 2nd year in a row with a few good players not available this time around and a top class one in D McVeety. Definitely won the tactical battle also, although you would have to wonder at the Banty's thinking to abandon a running game that should be unaffected by wind and that had them about 6 points up after 40 minutes. The Banty will surely have to go.
Onto the next challenge, and while the players should focus on Antrim, as supporters we are free to speculate and we all know Antrim will be swept aside easily in the 2nd half. There are two challenges for Mickey now to show he has progressed on last year:
1. We have to maintain the consistency of the Monaghan performance to beat Down & Fermanagh. The exact same standard will beat either by about 3 points I would think
2. If point No. 1 has been a success, then we need to find something extra in an Ulster Final that we didn't have last year to keep us competitive and in the game against likely a Donegal with 10 mins to go.
I would expect us to fall down at point No. 2 again, but that will probably not be seen as a terrible outcome and would leave you going into next year with plenty of hope having made two Ulster finals in a row. And having been one of the few who leaped to Mickey's defense to calm a potential riot on here following the league relegation, I now feel best placed to move us all on from the congratulations and pointless talk of not taking Antrim for granted and point usback towards the analysis/the work-ons/the criticisms of Saturday, of which I have 5 below:
1. Monaghan tore through the middle of us leading to Galligan having to make 4 saves and scored 3 fisted points that were also goal oppurtunites. I had asked for Faulkner here to plug this hole rather than as a man marker and still think I right on that point. While this was happening and for the whole match bar the last 5 mins, Killian Clarke appeared to playing a role where he was following a player or the ball around the field and ending up in the forward line without much intent and a hole to be filled behind him as we got cut through on the various counter attacks. I am not sure what that role was he was playing but there are plenty of lads who didn't make the panel could have played that role just as well.
2. With a couple of different players tried on him, we did not look like we had anyone to handle the speedy corner forward Hanlon. It was only Monaghan's change of approach that put him out of the game really. No. 11 was also running riot on the 40 and it was the switch into to FF with McManus to get McManus out for more shoots that quietened him down too. Faulkner did an acceptable job on McManus I thought. Below his own high standards but acceptable. So we might only have 1 good man marker in that full back line (who is needed at No. 6). Again, I havent seen much of this famous Danny Cusack and sometimes the less lads play the better they get, but I wonder if there is any harm in taking a chance on the devil we dont know here, and the same with Timoney. They did it with TED in the forwards so why not in the backs.
3. Build up play was fairly slow and undirect. Long range points with the wind were our go to play from 1-3 onwards. A good team watching that will probably just play a higher line against and take more of a chance of conceding goals which we still dont really look dangerous from in spite of scoring two in 90 mins.
4. Martin Reilly and James Smith were not really in the game at all within the 70 minutes bar 1 point from play each. You would expect those two players to be on the ball alot more given their styles of play. Bit of tweaking needed to get them more into maybe?
5. Cormac Reilly seems to get whipped off when one of our more dangerous forwards while other quieter lads are left on. But I'll take Mickey's word on that one. Maybe he has Colm Boyle vests on them that beep over on the line when you have enough done." You are underestimating Antrim based on league after saying league doesnt matter. We got caught by them in a similar situation in 2009. Forget any other game except for Antrim and give them the respect they deserve. They have the advantage of having watched us in a full blooded game and they will have seen how Monaghan opened us up down the middle. So we need to be confident but be wary. There are no easy games. Start in 1st gear and its hard to go up the gears thereafter. That said you'd expect we'd have too much for them.
fredflint (Cavan) - Posts: 1483 - 02/11/2020 11:55:43
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Great win saturday, fair play to all but it must be quickly parked and focus on antrim (still have grim memories of them beating us in 2009)
Hard to know how to play it personnel wise, we still have massive problems in full forward line and basically won the game the other day by ignoring our full forward line completely, conroy, galligan and murray all have good impacts from the bench but they are all more comfortable down the middle 8 section too.
Im thinking maybe switching Galligan in and out of that ff position.
I liked TED's cameo too so would like to see him earlier.
HuddHastings (Longford) - Posts: 144 - 02/11/2020 12:53:46
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Replying To fredflint: "You are underestimating Antrim based on league after saying league doesnt matter. We got caught by them in a similar situation in 2009. Forget any other game except for Antrim and give them the respect they deserve. They have the advantage of having watched us in a full blooded game and they will have seen how Monaghan opened us up down the middle. So we need to be confident but be wary. There are no easy games. Start in 1st gear and its hard to go up the gears thereafter. That said you'd expect we'd have too much for them." I never mentioned Antrim's league form..
I would doubt Cavan players are coming on here for a look to see if any of the supporters think they should maybe go out the next day and take it handy either.. so there's not much need for people doing the Steve Staunton routine talking about Banana Skins..
PatTheDandy (Cavan) - Posts: 356 - 02/11/2020 13:25:17
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Yep. I remember being at the Antrim game in 2009. Grim stuff but have to remember they had beaten Donegal the round before which turned out not to be a flash in the pan at the time. They ran Tyrone respectfully close in the final too that year.
The weekends result is the sweetest I've enjoyed in quite some time but we have to approach this game as a standard Ulster Championship game expect a battle of attrition with the elements at this time of year potentially proving to be a significant leveller. It's just great to be in the position to be discussing it and to be honest I'm still buzzing. Losing next weekend would definitely take a lot of the shine off. Need to be up for the battle.
Also, if the league is being considered then consider this. Div 3 beating a Div 1 side last weekend would have been thought very unlikely. A Div 4 beating a Div 3 side next weekend would not be considered as unlikely. Fingers crossed we get our best possible team out this weekend.
Bozo (Cavan) - Posts: 58 - 02/11/2020 13:58:55
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Antrim have got a few key players back this year who had been apsent for a while. Paddy Cunnigham, Tomas McCann, Michael McCann, Kevin O Boyle. All good players. They were going well in the league before covid, had a bad day at the office against Wicklow which cost them promotion. But they could be dangerous if not focused.
FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2763 - 02/11/2020 14:28:00
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Hi all as an exiled west Cavan blue I don't have the luxury of seeing all the games all you are privileged to have access to but did see by beloved Cavan at the weekend absolutely over the moon with the result. it's time to get behind M/G and all the team and please stop the negative digs at management and players. MG obviously knows what's going on behind the scenes and his tactics were spot on. We definitely need to tighten up defensively as if we are lucky enough to get to an Ulster final Donegal or Armagh would destroy us that said what impressed most was the fight and hunger we showed that we didn't really show last year. If these lads stay together and show hunger and desire we will become someone whose hard to beat and not a soft touch imagine if those players that are away and were to return we would be feared once again. UP Cavan
[email protected] (Cavan) - Posts: 138 - 02/11/2020 16:26:20
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Replying To HuddHastings: "Great win saturday, fair play to all but it must be quickly parked and focus on antrim (still have grim memories of them beating us in 2009)
Hard to know how to play it personnel wise, we still have massive problems in full forward line and basically won the game the other day by ignoring our full forward line completely, conroy, galligan and murray all have good impacts from the bench but they are all more comfortable down the middle 8 section too.
Im thinking maybe switching Galligan in and out of that ff position.
I liked TED's cameo too so would like to see him earlier." Our forwards are not the problem now.. It's our defence. We have scoring forwards.
s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 02/11/2020 23:41:04
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Replying To s goldrick: "Our forwards are not the problem now.. It's our defence. We have scoring forwards." I'd have to agree how many times were our defenders sucked in and an overlapping Monaghan player was through on goal.
The fact that we managed to beat Monaghan with far from the perfect performance is encouraging as it gives us plenty to work on for the Antrim game and fingers crossed a semi final.
drumalee11 (USA) - Posts: 291 - 03/11/2020 10:25:46
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I would take a one point win here. I really would. It has banana skin written all over it, especially with a team as notoriously inconsistent as Cavan. Look at the performance versus Roscommon versus the one against Monaghan, all in the space of 7 days. Chalk and cheese. The problem with our lads is that you just don't know what team will show up on the day.
We could win this one by 10+ or fall flat.
I think we'll win with a bit to spare, but lets not get too confident.
Cavan_Shambles (Cavan) - Posts: 575 - 03/11/2020 11:35:05
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My Team Vs Down in the Ulster Semi:
I am not happy to just say the lads did great and wait until they lose to start giving out and suggesting what changes should be made. I would like the changes made now before it too late.
R Galligan
J McLoughlin. Killian Clarke. Luke Fortune
Oisin Kiernan (Wandering Sweeper as required)
Killian The Gunner (Defensive Midfielder/Nuisance).
Gerry Smith. Faulkner. Ciaran Brady
Paul Graham. Gearoid McK (Attacking Midfielder)
Martin Reilly. Cormac Reilly
James Smith. Oisin Pierson
Subs:
Tom Galligan on for Graham at HT time then to bate all round him
Shortly followed by Stephen Smith for one of forwards
Conroy then for Gunner, Oisin K or Martin Reilly after 45/50 mins depending on how the game is going.
Timoney for Ciaran Brady after 55 mins
TED next of the other forwards of the other forwards that were tried last week. Conor Smith ahead of him if now available.
Explanations:
*Mickey obviously doesn't trust the Gunner at corner back anymore, so I don't think he should be in anyones team at corner back now. I see his use and have put him in to help Faulkner fill that big hole in the middle of our defense.
*Paul Graham hasn't done much this year to earn that spot but is well capable fo holding his own there for a half and Tomas Galligan has been pulling up trees when he comes on at HT so I would leave that as it as. Think Stephen Smith might be more effective doing the same also.
*Full forward is not James Smith's best position but he has not made the MF jersey his own yet at county and we are not kicking it in enough and him there is the next thing we should try. Cormac Reilly is probably our best guy at getting shots away in tight positions after McKiernan and I am bringing him out to get more of the ball. We cannot depend on half backs and midfielders alone to kick the points.
*The 3 full back line men are all either out of form or in Luke Fortune's case in form but unproven as a county corner back. He is being sacrificied from his better position because the other man markers have been in such poor form and not because he is not a good wing back. The lack of alternatives combined with previous good performances at this level keep the other two in.
PatTheDandy (Cavan) - Posts: 356 - 04/11/2020 14:33:31
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Replying To PatTheDandy: "My Team Vs Down in the Ulster Semi:
I am not happy to just say the lads did great and wait until they lose to start giving out and suggesting what changes should be made. I would like the changes made now before it too late.
R Galligan
J McLoughlin. Killian Clarke. Luke Fortune
Oisin Kiernan (Wandering Sweeper as required)
Killian The Gunner (Defensive Midfielder/Nuisance).
Gerry Smith. Faulkner. Ciaran Brady
Paul Graham. Gearoid McK (Attacking Midfielder)
Martin Reilly. Cormac Reilly
James Smith. Oisin Pierson
Subs:
Tom Galligan on for Graham at HT time then to bate all round him
Shortly followed by Stephen Smith for one of forwards
Conroy then for Gunner, Oisin K or Martin Reilly after 45/50 mins depending on how the game is going.
Timoney for Ciaran Brady after 55 mins
TED next of the other forwards of the other forwards that were tried last week. Conor Smith ahead of him if now available.
Explanations:
*Mickey obviously doesn't trust the Gunner at corner back anymore, so I don't think he should be in anyones team at corner back now. I see his use and have put him in to help Faulkner fill that big hole in the middle of our defense.
*Paul Graham hasn't done much this year to earn that spot but is well capable fo holding his own there for a half and Tomas Galligan has been pulling up trees when he comes on at HT so I would leave that as it as. Think Stephen Smith might be more effective doing the same also.
*Full forward is not James Smith's best position but he has not made the MF jersey his own yet at county and we are not kicking it in enough and him there is the next thing we should try. Cormac Reilly is probably our best guy at getting shots away in tight positions after McKiernan and I am bringing him out to get more of the ball. We cannot depend on half backs and midfielders alone to kick the points.
*The 3 full back line men are all either out of form or in Luke Fortune's case in form but unproven as a county corner back. He is being sacrificied from his better position because the other man markers have been in such poor form and not because he is not a good wing back. The lack of alternatives combined with previous good performances at this level keep the other two in." Absolutely stupid and disrespectful - who says either ourselves or Down will make the semi-final
The same thing happens every time Cavan win - people put them on a pedestal and then they re knocked off
While we should beat Antrim there s absolutely no guarantee that we will - Monaghan were odds on favourites against us and looked how they ended up . Look at Antrims record against us in the past and they were always a division or two below us in the league . Who would have said that Clare would come up to Breffni and beat us off the field which they did - only we got a few late scores to keep it respectable looking. So ,please, as great as the win was last week it has no bearing whatsoever on next weekends game - we should know that by now about Cavan
tenyearplan (Cavan) - Posts: 147 - 04/11/2020 21:24:45
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Replying To tenyearplan: "Absolutely stupid and disrespectful - who says either ourselves or Down will make the semi-final
The same thing happens every time Cavan win - people put them on a pedestal and then they re knocked off
While we should beat Antrim there s absolutely no guarantee that we will - Monaghan were odds on favourites against us and looked how they ended up . Look at Antrims record against us in the past and they were always a division or two below us in the league . Who would have said that Clare would come up to Breffni and beat us off the field which they did - only we got a few late scores to keep it respectable looking. So ,please, as great as the win was last week it has no bearing whatsoever on next weekends game - we should know that by now about Cavan" Overly conservative and unnecessary scaremongering from you there TenYearPlan.
I never thought Monagahan would blow us away, or that we would blow away a Clare or Fermanagh. They are all teams on a similar level to us. I am predicting a Cavan v Down semi final based on Fermanagh's poor preparations and Antrim being levels below us now for a decade. Not because I think we are world beaters all of a sudden. There was alot of very poor elements to the Monaghan win which I have laid out for rectification. For Antrim to beat us, we would have to play terribly and there is no point in discussing the potential for that to happen, so I was focusing on refining the team for the next team that might trouble us even if were to play well.
Disclaimer: If you are a County player that might get a run at the weekend and reading this post, please do not take Antrim for granted. In fact, please do not take any team for granted.
PatTheDandy (Cavan) - Posts: 356 - 05/11/2020 11:06:48
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Best of luck to the boys on Saturday, Hopefully, we can produce an improved performance on last Saturday and be looking forward to an Ulster Semi Final on Saturday evening. However, Antrim will not fear us, nobody out there does at this stage and the team need to perform in order to win.
kildare blue (Cavan) - Posts: 578 - 05/11/2020 13:02:30
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I'd love to see Cavan tear into Antrim and give them a good beating. Not because I have anything against Antrim but rather that I'd like to see us develop that sort of Ruthlessness you see in the Dublins and Tyrones of this world. However, I would be quite happy too with a 1 point win! Good luck to all involved.
fredflint (Cavan) - Posts: 1483 - 05/11/2020 13:27:47
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Replying To fredflint: "I'd love to see Cavan tear into Antrim and give them a good beating. Not because I have anything against Antrim but rather that I'd like to see us develop that sort of Ruthlessness you see in the Dublins and Tyrones of this world. However, I would be quite happy too with a 1 point win! Good luck to all involved." l just want to see if Cavan have plugged the holes in defence, because if they haven't their future is behind them.
Declankillann
declankillann (Dublin) - Posts: 83 - 05/11/2020 15:17:54
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Replying To declankillann: "l just want to see if Cavan have plugged the holes in defence, because if they haven't their future is behind them.
Declankillann" Yes we definitely need to tighten up hopefully Mickey will have been working on that during the week as was already said we have to be ruthless no matter who the opposition is and that needs to be instilled in the players because we are tired of it being done to us no disrespect to any country so let's get behind Mickey and the team and tear int Antrim from first whistle on Saturday. Up Cavan.
[email protected] (Cavan) - Posts: 138 - 05/11/2020 17:10:02
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Replying To fredflint: "I'd love to see Cavan tear into Antrim and give them a good beating. Not because I have anything against Antrim but rather that I'd like to see us develop that sort of Ruthlessness you see in the Dublins and Tyrones of this world. However, I would be quite happy too with a 1 point win! Good luck to all involved." Here here, A consistency in performance and attacking plan with more atability in defence
Good luck to all involved
Cavanman47 and Hastings there's the positive energy
FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2763 - 05/11/2020 17:31:40
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