The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

tayto lover

Nobody could criticise the effort. It was the Hail Mary attempts and the short kicks into the goalkeeper (about 6 i'd say) that cost Cavan the match. They should learn from this though. Great fightback and I thought they were on top at the right time. Alas it wasn't to be.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122047805#Comment_122047805

It was very frustrating to watch us give up their kick out. Most of the first half they just waltzed through us and tapped the ball over. Could we not start and play a full game like we do when we are six or seven points down?

Conservative clearly doesn’t suit us. We revel in madness.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122048146#Comment_122048146

GAA Social referred to it as Cavan bringing chaos to the game, and it was brilliant to watch. Going with the "let's try and manage this and stay in the game" almost completely backfired as they were able to pick off scores at will in the first half. When we went at them, it was great. The result is a real kick in the teeth but I couldn't be prouder of our lads, they absolutely threw the kitchen sink at them and emptied the tank.

It was such an odd feeling leaving the ground. I was heartbroken that we lost a game we could have won but I was so proud of how we finished the second half and the fight we brought. There were so many positives to take from the game but given how much of an epic battle it was, it's going to take some time to digest.

The immediate take I had getting into the car to drive back to the big smoke was that it was the best spectacle in Breffni for some time. I know the weather played a huge part but it was such an enthralling match and a brilliant atmosphere. Breffni definitely got its roar back and that's for certain!

It felt like a game you would be talking about for a long time, and the real shame is that we didn't get over the line

KeepTheFaith

What a day in Breffni. You couldn't but be proud of that performance from Cavan. Gutted for the players to put in that effort and have nothing to show for it.

Tyrone had more quality and it just got them over the line.

I thought Brian O'Connell was outstanding and our motm. Oisin Brady had his best performance in a Cavan jersey. Tiarnan Madden had a stormer when introduced.

Unfortunately when we reached deep into the bench in those vital final stages the standard dipped and we paid the price.

Tyrone play as front runners very comfortably. The failure of Coldrick to pull Tyrone and Morgan up for blatant time wasting throughout the second half was frustrating and I don't believe Cavan would have benefitted if the roles were reversed.

All the chat about our underage on here was underlined yesterday. Tyrone players all to a certain level of quality, better execution of the basic skills overall. Quality comes to the fore in those pressure scenarios. Guts and fight will get you a long way but we need to increase the standard overall to reach the top level.

willabur

Jaysus, what a performance by the guys, what a gutting result. You would hope it was more Cavan stepping up than catching Tyrone cold. Always had the feeling that they just were able to get a critical score when we pegged them back.

A few points, I thought the ref was very poor. They seem in such a rush to make a decision sometimes that they make the wrong one, I know I am biased but I felt he gave turn over frees to tyrone far handier than to cavan. In fact he would favour the tyrone lad who went to ground with the ball and gave the team in possession the free. He allowed a serious amount of time wasting by the tyrone team, injuries during the black card, morgan taking an age to take that last free and not allowing cavan the chance to get the shot away at the end.

that said, after fighting our way back into the game our lads really emptied the tank. I thought the pause after full time which must have been 15 mins was a disaster, bodies would have siezed up in that time and would have been far better as the team with momentum to get the game back going asap. Tyrone tacked on 2 scores early which we never got back from.

Hoping they kick on now!

mylestheslasher

There were a few things with the referee that iIwas a bit annoyed about 1) I thought in extra time we had a few clear frees, one on Holla in particular, that were not given. 2) Tyrone feigning injury to slow down our momentum, physio brought on and the referree clearly ignored the new rule for the player to leave the field until the next break in play.

When Faulkner scored one of the Tyrone lads lay down well away from the scene of the goal . Stopped the game for a minute, wasnt asked to leave the field and then ran into the middle of the pitch for a kick out where he bought a free. We can argue if something was a free or not, but just deciding not to implement a rule is scandalous from Coldrick.

All that being said, we lost the game due to our first half set-up.

Cavan_King

I have to say I’m very disappointed about the first half performance and being conservative. Have the likes of the Tailteann Cup Final vs Westmeath and the Armagh game last year thought us nothing? As I said here yesterday morning, we were on a shot to nothing so should have just gone for the jugular.

I don’t think you can blame Coldrick at the end. We needed to get the ball up the pitch quickly and, what was it, three times we went backwards? It was simply too stagnant and he had little choice but to blue it up.

We arguably got the rub of the green with the Hampsey black card but they certainly should have had another for the off-the-ball body check.

Fair play to the lads for dieing with their boots on but I’m still left thinking what might have been.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122049891#Comment_122049891

How many times do we have to say that "playing tactically to stay in the game" doesn't suit us? Go to our strengths and play to them. Have a cut at teams and don't leave wondering what if.

I don't like Coldrick as a ref but he has form for blowing up when he thinks time is up regardless of whether the ball is in play, so that is on Cavan. However, he was absolutely useless in managing blatant time wasting. Never mind the two frees Morgan walked up to take, went on his knees to line up, what about practically every kick out he took from Hampsey's black card until the end of normal time? A proper ref would have pulled him up on that and given a throw-in which would have sent a message that he wasn't going to take that messing.

I thought the black card was harsh having seen it afterwards, but from the terrace the officiating was dreadful. A blatant throw ball missed that led to a score. McCurry threw a punch at Cian Reilly right in front of the linesman (granted not a haymaker, but definitely would have got at least a yellow for someone like the Gunner) and Mattie Donnelly barging straight into a Cavan player and going down like he was shot and winning an easy free in extra time.

I wonder what the free count was a the end? Cavan forwards rarely got the benefit of the doubt and were called a lot for steps- there was one egregious one on the Holla that stuck in my mind, whereas Tyrone were given the benefit of the doubt (including at least 2 instances that they clearly handled the ball on the ground and then managed to maintain possession).

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122049301#Comment_122049301

Just seeing this now Myles, 100% spot on. That's the most vocal Breffni has been in a long time and not only for the come back but also for some of the highly questionable calls.

mogue77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122050027#Comment_122050027

oh lads the one he blew holla for over carrying was a blatant foul on him watched it again and Matty Donnelly has his 2 hands round his waste from behind.

rrs

Donnelly got away with 1 or 2 calls but he had an excellent game. Reads the game really well and rarely gives the ball away. He has played in a lot of positions for Tyrone and done well in each position. Full forward, half forward, midfield. Not long back after a long lay off.

Blue47

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122050259#Comment_122050259

his block on the Holla when he only had the keeper to beat was unbelievable but he was roaring into the faces of Cavan players and clapping them whenever they missed which was a bit classless, after all he’s not a young excitable buck any more

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122050259#Comment_122050259

Watching back the coverage on BBC, I’ve never seen a player as adapt at leaning into the challenge and winning a free.

cavan4sam

I thought the same watching it in real time... He just seemed to be on the way down long before a tackle came in

rrs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122051868#Comment_122051868

Tyrone are not new to the dark arts of play acting. Tiernan McCann, Ryan McMenamin were some who went to ground.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122051904#Comment_122051904

I was right behind that "foul" and he stuck his head down like a rugby player and dived into contact. It was blatant.

Don't get me wrong, he was brilliant on Sunday before you even consider his age (he was one of the players who looked like he could do another 10/15 minutes at the end) but that most people assumed he would have to hang up his boots after that injury he got with his club.

dxhound2005

I was standing beside a group of Tyrone supporters behind the town goals. I have to report that their assessment of the referee was very much the opposite to what I am reading here. They were blessed with extraordinary eyesight. The ref could be right beside the action 100 yards away from them, but they were able to point out how he got it wrong whenever he did not favour Tyrone.

mylestheslasher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122052092#Comment_122052092

That was a bad call, I was on terrace and had a great view of it. In fairness, the ref probably didnt have as good a view from where he was stood. I can excuse a ref making a few bad calls either way, its the nature of it. But not asking "injured" players to leave the pitch when the game was stopped is just unacceptable and there is no excuse for missing that 3 times!

mogue77

Raymond said he is hopefully going to add strength to the panel over the next few weeks! Does he mean getting Dara and Ryan O’Neill back? Or getting in Darragh Lovett from the 20s?

tazman06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057319#Comment_122057319

I'd say so. Although O'Neill picked a very unfortunate time to get injured. Likely Cormac O'Reilly has passed him out in the forwards. Thought he was very good on Sunday. I'd like to see some of the U20s in too. Not sure anyone will make an impression like Carolan a few years ago, but great time to have a look at some

mogue77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057389#Comment_122057389

you would wonder about u20s being brought in? Are any of them going to be better than paddy Meade or Ryan Brady both of whom I would have liked to see more of, they both have physicality and pace.

KeepTheFaith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057580#Comment_122057580

I think Ray would be better bring in a small group of maybe 3 lads. Lads like Ryan Brady and Ryan Donohoe have been given a few chances and haven't made a good impression, not yet at least. There could be another find like Carolan in the U20s capable of stepping up and going ahead of them in the pecking order.

rrs

It takes a while for U20 players to get up to the pace. When it was U21 they obviously had another year before being brought into the Senior panel. Fionnan O Reilly looked a good U20 in 22 but didn't really get a look last year. Some players could be 23/24 before establishing themselves on a Senior panel. Ryan O Neill has been on the panel a while.

mylestheslasher

I didn't see anything in U20s that would warrant any of them getting game time ahead of the current match panel members. If some come into train it should be with a view to getting involved next year.

mogue77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122058229#Comment_122058229

I was thinking along the same lines as you.

KeepTheFaith

Galligan will bring in Lovett and he'll get a chance, we are light on quality in the full forward line and we have a 3 year U20 player with blinding pace who had been excellent for his club in the Senior Championship and was made captain of the U20s. A no brainer.

Cavan_King

Poor aul Caoimhin Reilly seems to be onto his third Cavan manager and not getting much game time. His claim to fame being declared one of the top ten footballers in the county on WAC when he couldn’t make the starting 15!

Anyone know what is going on with Oisin Pierson? Pre Covid he looked like he may make some inroads but unfortunately he hasn’t made much headway since that goal against Monaghan in 2020.

Conor Smith also started the 2020 Ulster Final out of nowhere but injuries have curtailed him.

rrs

Pierson had injury problems, groin and hamstring. He was playing well in the League in 2020 before Covid derailed it.

Smith is a good player but very injury prone. He could be recalled to the panel for the All Ireland series, doing well at Club level.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122058568#Comment_122058568

Wasn't Lovett brought into the extended panel last year?

He definitely will bring him in. Whether he gets game time or not is another thing. The only other player might be Crowe from Ballyhaise.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122057389#Comment_122057389

Would be very hard on O'Neill. He was practically the only player to come out of the Armagh game with any credit and kicked some lovely scores, looked like he was coming into form and then seemed to pull up against Fermanagh.

O'Reilly has had a few impressive cameos off the bench in the league and showed well in the two championship games. I love the fact that he's always willing to take his man on, and hopefully he starts kicking scores. Can never question his attitude or work rate.