The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

rrs

Hopefully there isn't players leaving the panel should they lose on Sunday, and stick around for the All Ireland series.

The first game in that is May 18th/19th https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gaelic-games/67994106

tanko

Where do we stand as regards Sam Maguire/Tailteann cup if we don’t reach the Ulster final?

rrs

Cavan are playing in the All Ireland series. Not reaching the Ulster final has no bearing this year.

Westmeath could miss out should Clare reach the Munster final, which they should with a soft draw. A very unbalanced structure..

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121980211#Comment_121980211

Ok. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.

It’s hard to be optimistic for Sunday with so many players out of form and injured, where are the scores going to come from to win it, our defence gives up lots of scoring chances. If Monaghan play near their potential they have to be strong favourites.

mylestheslasher

Thats not correct. Westmeath are seeded ahead of Down as they won Tailteann. Down will miss out due to the lob sided draw in Munster. Now if Down get to Ulster final they would leapfrog Westmeath (assuming Westmeath don't make Leinster final). But none of this has any bearing on Cavan who are in Sam.

rrs

Misread that about Westmeath. The league champions go in to the All Ireland series

It's better for Cavan to be playing in the All Ireland then a 3rd year of tailtean cup

TheGadfly

Monaghan are leaking goals. Far more than Cavan. In fact, on average Cavans defence have conceded an average of 5 pints less per game than Monaghan. (Monaghan have been playing top class opposition though)

TheGadfly

Injuries are Injuries and both teams have to deal with them. Conditions under foot are going to be atrocious(that's if the game even goes ahead)

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121981140#Comment_121981140

The bit you put in brackets at the end is the important part. Monaghan were playing a much higher level of opposition.

mylestheslasher

Killian Clarke omission seems to be the big shock. Listening to wearecavan podcast he wasn't even mentioned in the long list of injured players. I hope Faulkner is fully recovered as a huge amount of our fortunes will lie with him having a big game.

piplip87

Look we are at the start of a phase of rebuilding and it's time a few of these lads **** or get off the pot.

The majority worry is that when Paddy Lunch is double marked (he will be on Sunday) we have nowhere to get scores from.

Geroid was a massive loss during the league the ability to stick it over from 30 yards against a blanket is something we have lacked all league.

Still I'm happier going into it as underdogs all the same as that is when we seem to play our best football.

I'm going to say Cavan by 2

etuzyuk

Like your optimism Piplip. Where the scores will come from is a worry but for me the bigger worry is getting a foothold around the middle. Plus realistically if we do win, Gary O'Rourke will likely be MOM or close.

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121981495#Comment_121981495

Is Clarke injured or was there a row in the camp?

mylestheslasher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121985744#Comment_121985744

I wasn't implying that if that is what your asking. I assumed he was a late injury maybe at training during the week.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121985744#Comment_121985744

He’s injured. Happened last weekend in trainig I understand. Dara McVeety has had a groin operation and won’t be back for any county games.

The level of disinterest in the county is shocking. There’s problem more posts here about the game than there are supporters I expect to see in Clones!

Banty apparently declared Friday night that he’s confident Monaghan will win by the biggest margin in over 50 years - more than 5 points.

rrs

He must have been confident in 2020 with a big lead at half time. Monaghan didn't play in second half . Game is 70 minutes, not 35.

mylestheslasher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121986998#Comment_121986998

If was making a bet this morning I'd probably say Monaghan by 5 or 6 to be honest.

rrs

A decent preview of the game by Cahair O Kane https://t.co/gbOcFsNKmf

rrs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987355#Comment_121987355

https://t.co/gbOcFsNKmf

rrs

When Monaghan went to Celtic Park last year, his midfield was Karl Gallagher and Killian Lavelle. Gary Mohan was at full-forward, Dessie Ward on the wing, Conor Boyle at centre-back, Darren and Kieran Hughes both late substitutes as they earned a draw, with Andrew Woods missing and Niall Kearns gone.

Mohan and Darren Hughes will start at midfield tomorrow. Lavelle’s role all this year has been a defensive one, albeit more in the half-back line.

But look at the physical profile of Monaghan’s half-back and half-forward lines. Karl O’Connell, Killian Lavelle, Conor McCarthy, Ciaran McNulty, Michael Hamill and Jason Irwin is what they’ve named to start.

In terms of ball-winning prowess, that will not strike fear into Cavan hearts.

Raymond Galligan’s side have allowed that fear to consume them on occasion over the last eighteen months but the origins of that are very similar.

When he was in goals under Mickey Graham and they were winning Ulster titles, they were at their best when they had nothing to lose.

Go back to the 2020 preliminary round tie between these two in an empty St Tiernach’s Park. Monaghan were seven up at half-time and still six ahead with an hour gone.Nothing else for it, Cavan played the final 14 minutes with complete abandon.

They rescued extra-time and from there, they won, with their now-manager kicking the dramatic winner at the death.

At half-time in the semi-final, they trailed Down by 1-9 to 0-4. They threw the shackles off, started to run hard at Down, and won by 1-14 to 1-13.

Thomas Galligan ended the year as an Allstar at midfield and Gearoid McKiernan was nominated for one.

At that time, Donegal were the province’s pre-eminent force. They would suffocate teams through their sheer physical size at midfield. But Cavan never feared that because they had those two, Killian Clarke, James Smith, Conor Brady – plenty of ways out.

When they met Donegal in 2022, Declan Bonner’s side forced them long 11 times in the first half. Cavan won five of those. Very few teams won five of those against that Donegal side.

But look now. Thomas Galligan is gone, Gearoid McKiernan is gone, Killian Clarke is a surprise absentee through injury, James Smith has been in a halfway house of rotating to full-forward for a few years. Very similar to Conn Kilpatrick’s role for Tyrone, they haven’t had a proper return on the investment.

Their half-back and half-forwards lines have a similarly small physical profile to Monaghan’s

celt262

That wind will play havoc today its not going to be a great watch.

benjy1000

Faulkner not fit to start either is the word

benjy1000

I travel with hope & not much expectation unfortunately

dxhound2005

Coverage of the game is on BBC NI as well as RTE.

BBC Sport NI has won 'Best Sport Programme' at the Royal Television Society awards for their coverage of the 2023 All-Ireland football final. The thrilling final at Croke Park saw Dublin defeat reigning champions Kerry by 1-15 to 1-13 on July 30. 27 Mar 2024

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001y6r8

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987058#Comment_121987058

The only bit of hope I have left for today is memories of that game because we pulled a result out of nowhere.

soap1978

Am afraid to say Monaghan by 6 or 7 points,can't see how Cavan can keep them out

tanko

This is like a bad challenge match.Tiernan Madden, Conor Brady and Ciarán Brady don’t look fit to walk. Have we anyone in the bench to improve things?

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121988875#Comment_121988875

Tiernan Madden

celt262

Oisin Brady is getting turned over far to much.

soap1978

Yes has got caught a few times