The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

cavan4sam

Only got to listen to the game on NS and seen the highlights of the senior game but it looked like polar opposite from the Tyrone game ...full of energy , quick transition and some great defensive work

Hopefully we can bring this energy into the next 2 games and really give us an idea of where we are at

As for the minors that was a great performance and a great win . I had stated here earlier that I thought Tyrone wouldn't be stopped in Ulster and I hope I am wrong they just looked at a different level when I saw them , but that was early in the year and maybe other teams have reached their level

Anyway a good weekend all round for Cavan including the ladies fine Ulster intermediate championship win !!!

hatefulrory

Any word on Donnelly? Sounds like a cruciate injury.

Cavan are getting very little respect after yesterday with the focus almost exclusively on Mayo's failures. Hopefully that will motivate the players for the Donegal game.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123464253#Comment_123464253

Looked like a cruciate, he went down right in front of where we were sitting.

macdonagh2007

Heard after the game Sean McEvoy has a broken nose but was on the pitch and didnt look to be in any discomfort. Barry Donnelly's knee was swollen according to one of the players , may not be as bad as we thought.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123463813#Comment_123463813

The podcast said Holla was excellent in midfield. I listened to NS and they had a lot of praise for Gerry Smith too. Stated it was his best game this season.

Ashamed to say I missed that victory because I didn’t think we had a chance but delighted to say I was proved wrong.

Donegal and Tyrone will be nothing easy but that win should certainly give confidence.

Hopefully we will now have our seniors joining our minors in an All Ireland QF.

tazman06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123464706#Comment_123464706

Gerry was low key everywhere. While Holla picks up the plaudits and the eyes of everyone for his runs, Gerry was at every breaking ball, was available for a pass and was moving all the time. i commented multiple times on how is he to nearly every ball

etuzyuk

Very encouraging performance yesterday. Mayo may not be AI contenders but they are easily a top 10 side. We went toe to toe with them from the start and when game went to the melting pot we upped the gears. Haven't seen that in a while from a Cavan team in the sun and despite the doom and gloom and predictions of a massive fall of with retirements, this is actually a nicely blended team with good age profile. I'm not going to go through performances but I will say the GK display was crucial in giving us a foothold in the game and growing into it and gaining confidence. That and legs out the field.

I was very disappointed in not clinching promotion in the league after getting so close but this makes up for it. I'll repeat this over and over again. We need big teams coming to Breffni. Playing Division 1 brings bigger crowds and gets better player squad buy in. Lads will be buzzing now. Donegal in Breffni is as big an occasion as we've seen in years with a massive prize up for grabs. Make no mistake, this is a level up and these are AI contenders but it's something we should be relishing, not dreading. Crucial we don't repeat the mistakes of Omagh and not show up for the start. We will be under severe pressure from the off, GK most of all, but we will have to stand up and push these c**ts as far as we can. And get the crowd behind us.

Hopefully injuries are not too serious, more are back and we have a fully fit panel. And EVERY CAVAN SUPPORTER makes an extra effort to get to Breffni in 2 weeks time to roar these lads on!

tazman06

Minor final details

etuzyuk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123466752#Comment_123466752

Brilliant. Great memories of that venue and lovey time for game.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123468163#Comment_123468163

I think it’s a **** time for a game. Work Monday morning and hauling down to Enniskillen for 5.15. Won’t be leaving then until near 7.

Would have been a grand time for Saturday evening but not Sunday.

tazman06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123469123#Comment_123469123

Tyrone seniors are on Saturday evening, so think they were trying to get a time that worked and avoided other games Sunday

Ah now, leaving Enniskillen at 7 on a Sunday isn't that bad…

hatefulrory

Kerry will be hot favourites in the Munster final having already beaten Cork comfortably in group stages. We will face the winner of that match if we lose on Sunday and take on the losing side if we beat Tyrone.

I still think there is another gear in this minor side. I felt we could have won by more last weekend.

Cavan King you'll just have to get permission to stay up past your usual bedtime. 9pm should do it. 😂

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123469123#Comment_123469123

Nothing wrong with the time if it was a Wedneday evening at 7.30 there would be no complaints that it was late.

etuzyuk

Can't see issue with time.

But just realised Cavan rally is on that day? Anyone know where you can get a route map or if diversions will be in place?

Looks like weather breaking for weekend too.

mogue77

any word on Barry Donnellys injury?

tazman06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123470573#Comment_123470573

The pod yesterday mentioned an acl, which it did look like in fairness. But no official word on it yet

mogue77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123470979#Comment_123470979

that’s a shame, he was looking like some prospect.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123469999#Comment_123469999

It’s not on a Wednesday evening though. It’s on a Sunday so the full day is available to play it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123469764#Comment_123469764

There speaks a man won’t be hauling a few kids to Enniskillen with him.

Regardless, looks like I’m overruled here. Should have known none of you lads have jobs to go to Monday.

A good performance is all the majority of supporters expect. By all accounts, this is an impressive Tyrone team, backboned by a school team have always had the better of St Pats. Right now, I’d gladly emulate 2017 (was it) and take a QF win, after losing the Ulster Final, to reach a Semi Final. Going on previous years, we are already in bonus territory.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123471777#Comment_123471777

Same principle thought if it was Wednesday evening you would happily go and not be here saying you will be tired for work the next day!

tazman06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123471777#Comment_123471777

Ah now. I have a job I need to be in for very early, but this game time ain't affecting that and I'll have a distance to travel as I live in a different county.

Cavan_King

Monaghan played Louth off the pitch there. Louth took a bit of gloss off the score with a late goal and couple of points. A team who couldn’t win a game in Ulster easily beat the Leinster champions.

Our two group opponents delayed by 15 minutes due to an accident.

mylestheslasher

I don't think that win for Tyrone was a good result for us. Donegal coming to breffni needing a win now and I think Mayo will be hungriest in Omagh next weekend too - Tyrone know they've us in their last game and will be very confident. That said Donegal were very toothless yesterday.

celt262

Well that was a second half to forget after doing so well to be ahead at half time.

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123484911#Comment_123484911

Far too much fumbling and poor passing in the first half when they had the wind. Tyrone were a much better drilled team but Cavan have some excellent footballers.

etuzyuk

Tyrone very strong team all over. Thought some of our lads really struggled with their intensity 2nd half and made many forced errors especially when in possession. Defence held out as best they could but nothing was sticking up front. Disappointing the nature of the 2 goals conceded but if we had scored similar, we'd be singing the praises of our attackers. That's life, better team won. Interesting to see how we fare against Munster champions and if there's much difference in standards.

Cavan_King

Unfortunately it looked like nerves hit the lads in the first 10 to 15 minutes. Too many misplaced passes led to easy turnovers. Duffy from Mountnugent is a great footballer but the decision to start him after being out injured didn’t work. In fairness to O’Hanlon, he knew he had to try something different.

At half time I really had hope but you can see the composure in that Tyrone side. They never panicked. The goals were unfortunately poor. You can’t let 13 run that far with the ball on the first and I don’t think he should be scoring from that far out on the second. Did it catch the keeper late? It looked like he threw his leg at it rather than using his hands?

1 score in the second half from a free isn’t good enough but I thought the six point margin was harsh at the same time. Hopefully the lads dust themselves off now and go for it in two weeks time. There’s no reason they can’t go far in the competition and make a final. Loads of talent.

mylestheslasher

Made the trip to Enniskillen. I think the lads did the best they could but Tyrone were a different level. We hung on in the 1st quarter when we were really under the cosh. Did really well in the 2nd quarter to get ahead. In the 3rd quarter we were again under serious pressure but our organisation in defence was really frustrating Tyrone and I felt at that point, if we could have got up the field and got a point or two we could have shocked them. But the concession of a really bad goal, allowing a lad to run 60m with the ball, stopped him twice only to let him go again - well it was a terrible goal to concede. It gave Tyrone the confidence and they squeezed the life out of us. A lot of talk about management, and I thought they had us set up quite well but 2 major calls did not work out. Starting No 22 who clearly wasnt fit was a mistake and swapping out the keepers did not work out this time. The one big thing I felt over all was the massive difference in conditioning between both teams. Tyrone have serious work done and we dont - its pretty obvious. Then when you have a ref who is not giving anything soft (and I thought he was a good ref in the day), its very very hard for Cavan to break lines. Anyway, at least they got to a final - its a while since that happened.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123485954#Comment_123485954

In fairness to O’Hanlon, he has never referenced being missing players. He is arguably missing his first choice back line of Finian Smith, Lee Glennon & Duffy, who obviously wasn’t fit.

Joe Crowe and Jay Graham would also have been starting but for long term injuries.

The majority of the team are St Pats and should be well conditioned considering the amount of work they put in. The other secondary schools were unfortunately ignored for too long but that is now changing.

There are a cohort of lads don’t even go to school in Cavan - Jake Brady would be in Granard, Duffy in Oldcastle.

The clubs are also working with these lads but Tyrone has a population three times that of Cavan so they are always going to be able to pick a majority of physically bigger players if they wish.

cavan4sam

Didn't make it to the game but I saw that Tyrone team back in February and though they were missing a few schools lads I came away from the game thinking I had seen the all Ireland champions. The skill level and conditioning was a different level

In fairness we did well to hang in with them for so long ...

Hopefully we'll give Kerry a good run for their money and get to a semi

There's definitely room for improvement in that team and if they tidy up a few bits we'll give them a good rattle

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123488366#Comment_123488366

Our issue is that it’s my firm belief that’s the team we have who buck the trend of how poor the development system is every few years.

It could be another few years before we reach this point again.

And, this group, like last year’s minors, will probably spend next year being ignored with no interest taken in their future development.