Cavan vs Antrim - what date?

Lemlin

I was just wondering if anyone knew on what date the Cavan vs Antrim game is this year?

I've read that it's on the 29th May but my mate swears he read in The Star the other day that its a week later on June the 5th or something. I can't find a fixtures list anywhere on the web.

Does anybody know?

cournioni

Its on on the 29th of May in Breffni Park. Cavan should win it, even though something like 21 of the players on the panel are injured. But you'd never know...

Lemlin

I think 21 is a bit of an exaggeration. I know Pierson is injured but I don't think any of the other major players are.

cournioni

Nope, no exaggeration. I know one of the lads on the panel and he said that, that was the figure. Some not as serious as others but I know for a fact that alot of the Gaels (Lyng, Johnston, Forde, Collins etc.) players, the Knockbride (Larry Reilly, John Tierney) players are injured for sure.

Lemlin

Well Larry Reilly, Peter Reilly and John Tierney all played for Knockbride against Lavey last week so that can't be true.

I imagine what you're hearing is the psychological crap that Coleman always uses coming up to matches. Remember running into the Armagh huddle last year!

Lyng may be out but we won't need him, Forde or Johnston against Antrim.

The Rooster

This is the Cavan team that lost to Dublin by 4-15 to 0-7 on May 1st

E Elliott;
M Hannon, D Robert, K Fannin;
K Crotty, C Hannon, M Cahill;
D McCabe, S Maguire;
F O'Reilly, P McKenna, C Galligan;
J Reilly, M Graham, L Reilly.
Subs used: G Pierson, P Monahan, S Cole, P Brady, P Reilly, E Smith.

As you are aware Pierson suffered a bad injury in that game, shortly after coming on.

Cavan had a challenge away to Kildare the following week, but as only 11 Cavan players turned up, a number of lillies had to don the Cavan jersey!

I hear Coleman is also quite sick - pneumonia?

You would think that it all bodes badly for Cavan, but hopefully they can produce the goods on May 29.

cournioni

Lemlin wrote:

Well Larry Reilly, Peter Reilly and John Tierney all played for Knockbride against Lavey last week so that can't be true.

I imagine what you're hearing is the psychological crap that Coleman always uses coming up to matches. Remember running into the Armagh huddle last year!

Lyng may be out but we won't need him, Forde or Johnston against Antrim.

Maybe so, but Tierney is holding back from an operation to play in the championship. He is pretty badly injured but is playing through the pain. I'm not quite sure what the name of the injury is but it is a groin injury anyway.

Also, Anthony Gaynor seems to have fecked off. He hasn't shown up for either club or county training recently after his red card in the U21 Ulster final. The lad a good player but his discipline is dodgy to say the least.

I'd say Cahill from Denn could be our find of the year. He's been playing very well recently.

Yeah Rooster, it doesn't look good at all for us. Hopefully we'll survive the first test against Antrim and get some players back very quickly. We'll need everyone fit for the semi-final, likely to be against Tyrone. Three Drumgoon players in the backline tells its own story!

I reckon this team would be the best Cavan could hope for all injuries and suspensions aside...

1. James Reilly (Drung)
2. Keith Fannin (Drumgoon)
3. Darren Rabbit (Cavan Gaels)
4. Paul Brady (Mullahoran)
5. Anthony Forde (Cavan Gaels)
6. Trevor Crowe (Lacken)
7. Anthony Gaynor (Ballinagh)
8. Paddy Brady (Gowna)
9. Pierce McKenna (Kill)
10. Mark McKeever (Gowna)
11. Michael Lyng (Cavan Gaels)
12. John Tierney (Knockbride)
13. Larry Reilly (Knockbride)
14. Dermot McCabe (Gowna)
15. Gerald Pierson (Gowna)

Subs: E Elliott; C Hannon, E Jackson, E Reilly (CG); C Crotty, M Cahill, Peter Reilly; N Walsh, S Maguire; F O'Reilly, Philip Brady, S Brady; J Reilly, S Johnston, M Graham.

When you look at that, you can see what I mean by players missing! :eek:

Lemlin

I think Trevor Crowe has left the panel. Pity because he was pretty good last year.

Gaynor was a great wee player but you're right about his temperament.

All in all, alot of Cavan footballers seem to be a bit too big for their boots. They need to start acting like a team and stop trying to be prima donnas.

cournioni

I agree with you, in a way. I think that some of the Gaels players are seen as prima donnas. Alot of the players from around the county seem to have a dislike for Cavan Gaels players attitude whenever I've spoken to them. I wouldn't know myself because to be honest I've only ever met Eoghan Elliott, but he seemed to be a sound enough guy.

I know Tierney and Fannin pretty well too and they are dead on, and level headed guys. My cousin used to work with Larry Reilly and he says he's very level headed when it comes to football.

All in all I think that its more to do with players from around the county just not getting on with the Cavan Gaels players which is why Coleman probably cut down on the amount of Gaels players in the squad.

Lemlin

I think what not only the players, but people around the county resent, is the transfer of players to the Gaels.

Anthony Forde (from Shannon Gaels) and Mickey Lyng (Crosserlough) are just two county players who have transferred to the Gaels in recent years, leaving behind the club sides that they played for through their youth.

I think alot of players also grew up hating the Gaels becaus they swept the underage categories through the past few years when it came to everything, simple because of the pick they have from the town. One only has to look at how they've won the minor championship for the last five years running.

As well as this, they tend to get some of the best players from the surrounding areas to the town (e.g. Killygarry, Drumalee) simply because when kids are young they want to win, and that often means playing for the Gaels.

Its only now though that towns like Virginia and Ballyjamesduff are growing and teams like Lurgan and Castlerahan are beginning to have the population that allows them to compete with the Gaels.

cournioni

You've pretty much hit the nail on the head there. I'd say the third paragraph is what Cavan's problem is to be honest. I think alot of players on the county panel have a them (Gaels) and us (other clubs) attitude and vice versa. What Cavan needs is a panel that is team orientated, which is something Derry teach us every time we play them.

They always work the ball well up the pitch and support each other when on the ball. And defend in numbers when they don't have the ball. Cavan seem to always lack this sort of team work.

Lemlin

Last year's big problem was our inability to kill off Armagh and that fool Pearse McKenna undertaking what I would imagine was the fastest sending off in Gaelic football ever. I even missed it because we were still looking for somewhere to watch the match from in the stand!

This year hopefully things will improve. The Dublin match was a big downer but it was only a friendly and, as pointed out, Coleman has been missing. I think the psychological games he plays can be a tad stupid but they seem to motivate the players. The trainer he brought in from Fermanagh has also been working wonders.

Let's not forget that Cavan weren't terrible last year. We played a great game against and beat a very good Down team, should of won against Armagh and lost focus against a Derry team that we could of beat who went on to reach the semi finals.

Let's hope the lads can improve this year. The truth is we won't know what is going on in the camp or who's available until the 28th against Antrim. I've always heard rumours like that other players resent McCabe, because he's big headed, and stuff like that but I know a girl who was working as a physio and she reckons he is anything but.

I think we may go out against Tyrone in the next round but hopefully we can have a good run at the qualifiers for once. Winning one qualifier game, against Louth, in three years is simply not good enough.

We had a much better league campaign this year, albeit in a lower division against weaker teams, but at least the lads have learned how to win matches, especially the younger players.

cournioni

I totally agree, I think the best we can hope for is a decent run in the qualifiers where a few players can get a bit of experience under their belts. Hopefully we'll make the All Ireland quarter finals (which I think is a fair expectation) through the qualifiers and get a bit of big game experience and maybe get a few players back that can challenge the bigger teams. What we don't want is a return to the days of Mattie Kerrigan.

We have a number of very good players coming through who were very unlucky against Down in the U21 final (where nearly half of our senior team's injuries occurred!). So if they can get a bit of a run together the future will be looking good for Cavan.

Lemlin

I'd love to make the quarter finals, and a game in Croker, but I think its a bridge too far. I'd be happy if the team just wins a few matches and gives us a few days out.

All this trouble with Coleman's health and all the injuries doesn't look the best at all. Cavan is one of the sleeping giants of football though and with all the constant interest in the county and young players coming through, it can only be so long before we've a team ready for a good crack at the Championship.

Flukey

Cavan may be sleeping giants, but they have been asleep for a very long time. Their last All-Ireland was in 1952. They have 38 Ulster titles, way ahed of anyone else, with Monaghan being second on 13, but they've only won Ulster 7 times since 1952 and the 6th of those was in 1969, meaning they've only one it once in 36 years. So they are not just sleeping giants, they are just about comatose. Antrim have no All-Ireland's and have not won Ulster since 1951, and Cavan should beat them, but neither county are going to go far this year. Tyrone or Down will see to that, and some other team in the qualifiers when they get there.

Lemlin

Think maybe Tyrone will but Cavan would beat Down. We beat them last year and, barring injuries, we've a far better team than last year due to some great U21 players coming through.

This year our U21 team beat the reigning champions Armagh and then only lost to Down after extra time in the Ulster final. That was a Down team who went on to substantially beat Dublin in the semi and only lose marginally to a fantastic Galway display in the final.

Nobody thought Cavan would do anything last year but then we beat Down and ran Armagh very close. Hopefully we can surprise everyone again this year!

Waylander

So what you are saying is nobody thought Cavan would do anything last year, and as it turns out, they were right, Cavan did nothing. You are just as guilty as any of the Dublin fans you mentioned in the other thread, as are most supporters. That is part of being a fan, you set high expectations for the teams you support. Why should Dublin fans be any different?

cournioni

Waylander wrote:

So what you are saying is nobody thought Cavan would do anything last year, and as it turns out, they were right, Cavan did nothing.

Sorry Waylander, I think what Lemlin was saying was that the general opinion of people across the country thought Cavan wouldn't beat Down, and would be hammered by 12 or so points to Armagh. Cavan proved alot of people wrong with these games. Alirght we didn't beat Armagh but with 14 players for the whole game, alot of key injuries and a very young inexperienced team out.

I think the general feeling around Cavan is one of hope after last year. It is something that we can build on. It is going to be tough again this year though with the amount of injuries on the Cavan panel. I think we will beat Antrim by about 4 points, and we'll probably lose to Tyrone. But if Down beat Tyrone I think we'll definately beat Down.

Lemlin

Pornapster has got my opinion exactly. Cavan people were overjoyed last year just to have beaten Down.

This year we'd be glad again just to get three or four games out of the Championship. Which is exactly what I said above. And, we're guaranteed at least two, so how is that setting high expectations!?

Lemlin

Just heard some bad news. Was reading in the Anglo Celt, Cavan's local paper that Eamonn Coleman tip[ped Cavan to beat Antrim and then lose to Tyrone.

Was wondring why a county manager would tip his team to lose but apparently Coleman's sickness isn't all its meant to be and he wants to distance himself from the team.

My friend heard this from a very reliable source and I'm beginning to believe it could be true.

cournioni

Coleman is a bit of a looper either way. But I'd say he's just trying to get the players to prove him wrong and what not. He always does it. It was the same against Armagh last year.

Lemlin

He's very much into his psychological games. Don't know why he'd be playing them coming up to the Antrim game though. Maybe he's getting them primed for the Tyrone match.

cournioni

I'd say it was just Coleman trying to influence the Tyrone vs. Down game actually. He was probably trying to do his best to make Tyrone think that they are guaranteed a place in the semi-final and then the final.

He shouldn't be dismissing Antrim like that though, we all know what happened just a couple of years ago against them. No one in Cavan wants a repeat of that result.

Flukey

Hey Lemlin, I am sure you will be delighted to see the survivors of the 1947 teams were honoured this week by the sports writers. When it comes to honouring the 2005 finalists, I don't think there will be a Cavan player amongst them. Tyrone are on a mission, as are Armagh. I think they are destined to meet in the Ulster final, possibly in Croke Park again. I'd still tip Armagh in that one.

Flukey

The Cavan team was named tonight. I haven't got the listing but apparently there are 4 debutantes.

cournioni

Yep... You're spot on Flukey. Here is the report from hoganstand.com.

Four debutants in Cavan team
Wednesday, May 25, 2005


Injury-hit Cavan have included four newcomers in their team for Sunday’s Ulster SFC quarter-final against Antrim at Kingspan/Breffni Park.

With key men such as Gerald Pierson, Michael Lyng and Anthony Forde ruled out through injury, the management have been forced to name a new-look side. Making their championship debuts are goalkeeper James Reilly (Drung), corner backs Michael Hannon and Keith Fannin (both Drumgoon) and Denn’s Mark Cahill at left half back.

Former All-Star Dermot McCabe has put his injury problems behind him and will partner Pierce McKenna at midfield.

Of course, manager Eamon Coleman and team trainer Martin McElkennon will also be missing from the sidelines on Sunday. Coleman is recovering from pneumonia, while his right-hand man McElkennon is serving a one-match suspension arising from the recent Ulster under 21 final between Cavan and Down.

Cavan (SF v Antrim): J Reilly; M Hannon, D Rabbitte, K Fannin; K Crotty, P Reilly, M Cahill; D McCabe, P McKenna; M McKeever, N Walsh, F O’Reilly; J O’Reilly, J Tierney, L Reilly.

Flukey

I'll be in Croke Park. As usual I will have my walkman with me, keeping an ear on other fixtures around the country. I'll be surprised to hear of a Cavan defeat, but fairly sure that that would be their last Ulster Championship victory this year.

cournioni

I dunno Flukey. Don't count your chickens just yet, Tyrone struggled past a poor Down team, IMO. Cavan are a better team than Down and last year proved this.

We'll definatly be the underdogs if we make it to the semi-final, but I wouldn't write us off against a Tyrone team who in my opinion aren't what they were a few years ago.

Flukey

They had a bad year last year, both on and off the field. They seem more focussed this year. Equally, you are judging Cavan by last year's performance. We don't know how they will play on Sunday and after. I don't think the Anglo Celt Cup will be resting in the Breffni county this coming winter!

Lemlin

It's great to see McCabe back and I'm pleased to see that Cavan Gaels aren't ruling the entire back line again this year.

The forward line looks pretty good as well, very capable of getting scores.

Maybe we will only get one victory Flukey but we are in the toughest province of all after all. Fermanagh have never won an Ulster championship yet they went to the semis last year.

Most Cavan fans would be well happy with a good run in the qualifiers, or even to beat Derry for once.

Either way I can't wait for the buzz around the town on Sunday and the atmosphere in Breffni.

Waylander

Didn't see the game today but was surprised by the result. And Cavan just scraped the draw I believe?

cournioni

Well, we were on top for most of the game to be honest and then just sort of fell apart in the second half after some demoralising misses (about four goal chances in total). They took the lead for the first time with about 5 minutes left, and then Finbarr O'Reilly put over the levelling point two minutes into stoppage time. We should take them next week.

As for Mark McKeever, he should cop the **** on. Who does he think he is walking down the tunnel like that? Good player or not, if he acts like that again he should be kicked off the panel.

Lemlin

What did McKeever do? I missed that, was on the terrace on the other side of the pitch. I heard that Pearse McKenna threw a wobbler at the rest of the team after the match though.

He was quite right to as well. Cavan were terrible and so were Antrim. 15 euro for the worst game of football I've seen in years. I wouldn't mind but the entire team were out last night pissed out of their minds when they have the replay next Saturday.

The referee was terrible as well. If someone fell over he stopped the game. There was no continuity in the match at all because of it and it made a poor game of football even worse.

At one point Dermot McCabe handpassed the ball and he blew up for a free, even though McCabe's pass was perfectly fine and he had his back to the referee, so the referee had no chance of seeing whether the pass was legitimate or not.

Whoever wins the replay is going to get destroyed by Tyrone.

28064212

The umpires down my end were awful. With about 5 minutes left they signalled a Larry Reilly wide when it was dead between the posts. It was from out on the far wing, and for some reason the guy on that side called it, instead of the guy behind the goals, it was a joke. And one of them called a forty five, the Antrim goalie said something to him, and he changed his mind.

Once McCabe dropped out of the game, we won nothing in midfield. McKenna and Walsh were disgraceful. And Walsh should've been sent off for his karate kick challenge. Couldn't understand why he wasn't subbed about half an hour in. We need Forde and Lyng to be picking up the breaking balls from midfield.

dregin

By all accounts Walsh has been rubbish since he came back from Australia. I can't really comment because I haven't seen him play since he left but I reckon he's gettin on that panel through contacts and not by merit.

28064212

Lemlin wrote:

I heard that Pearse McKenna threw a wobbler at the rest of the team after the match though.

He was quite right to as well.

He would've been right to, if he hadn't been so awful. 2 minutes left, down by a point, gets a great pass just inside the 21, loads of time, 4 Antrim players and the goalie in the box, what does he do? Kicks it along the ground, going for goal. The only Cavan players justified in blaming the rest of the team would have been Jason and Larry Reilly, and maybe Finbar as well. And even they missed some very good chances.

cournioni

Lemlin wrote:

What did McKeever do?

When he was substituted he completely ignored Paul Brady when he was going off and walked straight down the tunnel. And it wasn't like he was having a good game or anything. He was probably the worst player on the pitch on all accounts.

That umpire on the stand side of the goals in the town end was disgraceful. I was sitting in line with the shot and the posts for that shot and it was a clear point. At least a foot inside the post. He was the guy that gave the referee advice on whether the Antrim goalkeeper should have been sent off or not. If kicking someone off the ball isn't a sending off I don't know what is.

In my opinion, the referee was playing for a draw the whole way through the game. When Cavan were well ahead he was letting Antrim away with everything at midfield and blowing for frees every time a Cavan man challenged for the ball.

But all of that said, Cavan were desperately poor. They should have had the game out of sight in the first 15 minutes. After that it was just mistake after mistake.

dregin

You reckon it was a personal thing against Brady, or maybe he was just really pi$$ed off with himself. Paul's always been a fairly friendly fella, I can't imagine many people having anything personal against him.

cournioni

Could be a Mullahoran/Gowna thing. I can't imagine anyone doing that to Brady either, there's no one more committed to the GAA in the Cavan team that Brady to be honest. He better have been pissed off with himself because after his performance he can blame no one else.

dregin

meh, I wouldn't thought inter-club bitching would have made it's way into an inter-county squad. Mc Cabe used to give Paul Galligan serious abuse on the pitch, roaring at the bench to take him off. The main problem with the team is a complete lack of discipline. I've seen them in a group and the level of idiocy tolerated is absolutely disgraceful.

cournioni

Yeah its always the usual suspects at the shouting to single them out you'd have to say Forde, Larry Reilly and McCabe. McCabe is the worst out of the lot though. For such a great player he really loses the respect that I would give a player of his ability through this endless bickering on the pitch. I just wish someone could put these lads in their place. Even if it means kicking them out of the squad.

Lemlin

Finbarr O'Reilly may have had an alright game. But the fact that he was barely able to stand in the Imperial last nite, wearing a stupid hat and swigging on two bottles of WKD is what I'm worried about. Does the man not realise he has a match only 6 days away?

The team aren't fit enough and its displays like his that show why. The way they were acting in town last nite a Junior team wouldn't get away with a week before a match. No wonder Coleman whats fu*k all to do with them. I wouldn't blame him.

cournioni

Seriously? I would have chucked him out of the bar myself if I saw him at that. I play for a junior team and we aren't even allowed to drink now with the championship nearly a month away. If that is true he is letting his county down and should be told so.

28064212

rooster wrote:

Cavan had a challenge away to Kildare the following week, but as only 11 Cavan players turned up, a number of lillies had to don the Cavan jersey!

I heard (from a reliable source) that the reason only eleven players showed up was because two days before the match, some Gowna ex-player was getting married, and most of the squad went on the piss at it. For two days.

cournioni

So much for dedicated footballers in this county eh? If that is the way they treat our county team they shouldn't be in the squad. I'm sure there are plenty of footballers in the county who would love to be in the position they are in. I know I would.

Lemlin

Yep, I was there, saw it with my own eyes. He seemed to be the only player from the senior team that made it to the Imperial. The rest were all in McMahons.

Worse still was the entire Minor team getting into the Imperial night club for free because Keoghan is manager and owns the place. Surely he should be encouraging them not to be in there pissed out of their minds.

As for the players being commited, I know of at least one who has grown that disillusioned with the rest of the panel that he went on the piss in Liverpool rather than turn up at the game.

As for Peasr McKenna throwing a wobbler, at least he was trying to get through to the rest of the team. yes, I remember that time when he shot for goal, it was stupid but at least he tried for the entire match and gave his all, unlike alot of the team.

The sooner we get players like Sean Johnston, Anthony Forde and Mickey Lyng back the better. Other than Larry Reilly, the entire forward line on Sunday looked like they couldn't kick a point from play. John Tierney falling over when he was through on goal was beyond funny, it was agonising to watch.

Nicholas Walsh was particularly dreadful. How he was ever given the chance to play in Aussie Rules professionally Australia is beyond me. Seeing his trapsing around with his socks rolled up like Thierry Henry, it was easy to see why they sent him home.

28064212

lemlin wrote:

John Tierney falling over when he was through on goal was beyond funny, it was agonising to watch

Can't say i saw that, but I don't think it's fair to say that he had a particularly bad game. Especially if he's carrying an injury, which someone said earlier in the thread.

I can't recall a single decent ball actually coming in to him. As a full forward, you're relying on your half-forwards, who were virtually non-existent (except Nicholas Walsh, and in a bad way), and midfield to give you some good passes, even 50-50 balls to come in. John's a very strong player and there's not too many full backs who I'd fancy to win a shoulder to shoulder with him, never mind the Antrim defence who aren't exactly championship material.

You could see he was getting frustrated in the 2nd half before he got taken off, he spent more of his time between the 45 and half way line trying to get into the game then between the 21 and the by-line

cournioni

Well the only thing good that came out of that game as far as I'm concerned is that we couldn't possibly play any worse and yet we still drew the match. We're still there and we're still in with a chance.

I hate bringing up the past but remember '97? We were desperately poor against Fermanagh and Anthony Forde popped up with the leveller in injury time to salvage a draw. We went on to win the Ulster title after that. So lets not get too down about this result.

28064212

That's true enough, I wasn't too down about the game, more what seems to be the attitude in the Cavan camp. You never know, this might be the kick in the arse they badly need. Although the big question is whether Eamonn Coleman really is sick or whether he just wants out. Things could get pretty bad if the manager is trying to distance himself from the team. I mean he used to train Gowna (didn't he?), and they weren't exactly a bunch of saints on or off the pitch.

Mighty_Mouse

Could be worse. Could be Roscommon!

28064212

True enough. I suppose it is pretty widespread in the GAA when you look at a couple of the incidents in the last few years. On a separate note, does anybody know when Lyng, Forde or Johnston will be back?