Looking at the bench yesterday it was very weak IMO.
Liam Brady - You would have to praise his dedication.
Argue - Very little game time this year and hasn't shown any form
Conroy - Not suited to fast paces games
Caoimhin - Does he suit the way the game is played now at inter county level in having to track players back the field. Very dangerous player if getting the ball in the right positions as he is very accurate.
Niall Murray - Probably finished at this level due to injuries
Martin Reilly - Only back from injury and may not have been up to speed
Cian Reilly - 1 for the future
Oisin Kiernan - Similar to Martin Reilly
Ciaran Brady - See Martin Reilly (hopefully see more of him in the Tailteann)
Ben Kelly - Not rated by some here but i don't have an opinion as have seen so little of him
Ryan O'Neill - Have never seen him play
I would have 4 of them Argue, Conroy, Murray and Martin Reilly as possible not around next year. From the starting 15 there may be 2 or 3 retirements so i can see why Graham has brought in the 5 or 6 from the U20 squad.
I didn't think Gearoid played well yesterday. He scored the couple of points from play I think it was but I don't think he contributed much to overall play over the course of the game. Martin didn't seem to get into the match once he came on.
Mickey Graham is telling the media the team will stay together:
Cavan panel will stick together for Tailteann Cup campaign: Mickey Graham - The Irish News
You would have to hope they will because the bottom line is we need matches to develop and I don't think we can look down our noses at the likes of Westmeath or Offaly. Lest we forget only two weeks ago that the majority of the pundits in the country were tipping Antrim to beat us. Suddenly we're now ''favourites'' for the Tailteann Cup after a game where we lost by six points to Donegal.
I know what you mean, but for Martin Reilly or Gearoid there may not be replacements! I think for Conroy, Niall Murray and Martin Reilly it is a huge ask to commit and realistically only be looking at a bit-part role.
Given all the work that has already gone into the conditioning and preparation you would hope the lads went for it for the last few games and if there is talk of lads hanging up the boots, that they do so with some more well-deserved silverware.
Yep, Fitz reckoned the Wicklow lads were sitting saying that we were crap anyway and should have lost to Antrim the year before. I agree that we need to go for it but I do think that we need to start finding replacements for Killian Brady, Martin Reilly, Gearoid McKiernan and some of the other older lads. Chris Conroy, for example, hasn't been a guaranteed starter under Graham but has featured alot and is 30 this year so he may not hang around much longer.
The issue is you may have some lads who want to get back and play with their clubs but why not let them play club matches at the free weekends? The panel should be big enough now.
And, for the love of god, give Liam Brady from Ramor a game!!!
I would love if we just went for it. No point saying that the Tailteann is beneath us, but just went out and showed we are cut above. Based on our two championship performances that if we played at that level i doubt many teams would be at that.
Personally I would love us to get Wicklow and to settle a score....And i mean really exorcise a demon. Didn't Paul Fitzpatrick say that the Wicklow lads were slagging us off after they beat us?
I'm starting to sound like a Cavan's answer to Kevin Keegan now :)
Well I think the question is still there over us developing a panel as was stated above. In the 2021 Ulster Final we essentially made one substitution (Madden on for Conor Smith). Niall Murray came on too late to be relevant. Yesterday, we made three but the game was up by the time Caoimhin O'Reilly came on. Martin Reilly and Kiernan would have started if they had been fully fit. Would Mickey have thrown Cormac O'Reilly and Madden on if he had a fully fit panel and those two lads starting?
I'd love to see us go with our first choice 12 or so and then try to develop 2 or 3 players in each game. Some of the U20s, particularly the backs, look like they would be fit to offer some decent options. I definitely think we should be trying to win that Tailteann Cup and it takes pressure off trying to get promotion next year - don't get me wrong, we need to get out of Division 3 but there is mention of some retirements.
Hard luck to the lads, I woudn’t complain too much as despite the scoreline there was very little if anything between those 2 teams. 99/100 that penalty is given, couldn’t believe Lane didn’t at the time and I thought that could come back to haunt us as we probably needed to put some distance between us and them at half time. We showed great character to close a 3 point gap in the 2nd half but the balls up for the first goal and the fortuitousness of it hitting the Donegal man’s foot and running into the net was just unreal and it knocked the stuffing out of us (we went up the field and hit some very rash shots, losing the plot a bit then).
I had my doubts whether Paddy Lynch could really be a top forward but now I am satisfied that he can, he gave McCole a real tough time. Smith was excellent too. If we could just get one or two more scoring forwards we could be a real threat next year.
Overall I am disappointed we lost of course but at the same time I thought we couldn’t ask anymore of the lads, they needed a bit of luck but instead Donegal got it.
As for the Tailtean cup, we have to get ourselves up for it. We were not a great backdoor team in general but that is probably because we were obviously never going to win the cup at the end of that journey. We have a real chance to go and win this cup and how could we possibly turn up our noses at a national title given our lack of success for decades. If some of our lads are going to call it a day at the end of this year well then why not go out on a high and win the damn thing. I think that performance would bring the supporters out too and get them behind the team.
I agree about the subs. Cormac Reilly put a serious shift in and looked gassed well before he was hooked (as did Madden). One of his turnovers led to a score and it was just down to lack of energy. Why not spring Martin Reilly earlier or Kiernan (if both were fit). Easy to say from the hill but why not go for broke with 10 mins left when it's still level and bring Caoimhin on then to give Donegal something different to think about.
Whilst Donegal were edging on top and went three up, i thought the three points from Gearoid showed were weren't going to lie down and might be able to trade blows until the end and in a nervy final minute or two, who knows. However, once the first goal went in i thought our heads dropped. We had put in an immense shift and once the gap was a point or so we collectively seemed to believe we could do it- once it went to 4 (then 5) I think we knew we didn't have the firepower to pull that back. Fine margins.
It all really depends on the panel and the management. It will take a good while to get over the disappointment of yesterday. If we approach it as "let's get some game time into the younger lads" then we will approach it like we do the league. Fits and starts. Possibly enough to fall over the line in most games, and then get unstuck by a team like say Longford who will think this is their only realistic chance of silverware.
After yesterday we would be raging hot favourites and we know how well we play with that mantle :)
I agree, Donegal weren't that much better but still they're in another Ulster final and we are not. I didn't think Murphy did a whole pile- he kicked his frees (mostly very handy ones) and one from play. McBrearty might have finished with 1-1 from play but he doesn't look fit and was well marshalled until he got that jammy break. Mchugh was very quiet all game, and Conor Brady had Langan in his pocket.
Mogan was class and caused us problems the whole game. Ban Gallagher in the first half was close to unstoppable. McGee got stronger as the game went on. Brennan had his best game for a long time.
Was it just me or was Lane only too happy to stick his arm in the air for minor infringements and call back for handy frees? I thought Donegal got the rub of that in the first half but it wasn't the winning or losing of it- the game was in the mix and i thought we were well placed and then disaster struck. I think it would have been easier to take if it was a sweeping move- but a miscued shot and a shambles at clearing it..... it absolutely knocked the stuffing out of us.
The goals being fortuitous and being the result of mistakes are not mutually exclusive. Both of the goals came from miscued efforts, not deliberate high balls in. Both should have been dealt with and Ray could have punched that almost anywhere else and not resulted in an opportunist finish.
The second was poor from Clarke but there was luck in that the ball landed on McBrearty's head (which he knew nothing about) and then he gathered and scored.
21 minutes in, we had 8 points scored. We only scored that for the next 50+. We were 8-5 up and only got one more score in the first half which was after 24 minutes. So we went 11 minutes and two minutes of added time at the end of the first half with no score.
James Smith got a point 2 minutes into the second half and our next point was 10 minutes into the second half when we were 3 points down. Donegal had scored 8 points to our 2 from minutes 21 to 45. That was the killer. Not the goal I'd argue - although it did finish us off. 24 minutes with only 2 points to Donegal's 8.
You could argue that our high conversion rate from early on couldn't continue but I would agree that we needed another threat inside. James Smith has actually been over performing as a forward if you ask me. I don't think it's his natural game. Donegal were always going to tighten up on Lynch and close off the space in front of him.
The odd thing which disappointed me yesterday was the lack of faith in the bench. Martin Reilly and Oisin Kiernan came on which was expected but why wait 65 minutes to throw Caoimhin O'Reilly into the fray? Even then, we only made three substitutions. We were playing a high intensity game so why not use the full 5 subs unless there's no faith in the bench whatsoever?
Few thoughts on the game
Donegal are no better than us we were equally as good as them yesterday and the better team for the whole first half.
Penalty or not we should have had at least 1 goal in the first half (our ability to not convert goal chances has been evident throughout the league and came back to bite us yesterday.
Murphy was given the freedom of the pitch at the start of the second half and this ended up with Donegal get the first 3 scores. We showed great character to get back level but it was a costly period.
First Donegal goal was an awful mix up i blame Ray he either stays on his line and lets the defenders deal with it or clearly calls the ball so the others don't jump so he can get a better punch on it. The second goal was poor play by Clarke.
Paddy Lynch is just what this team has needed since McVetty left a inside forward who can win his own ball turn towards goal and kick off both feet.
If we are going to continue to play this system i feel that we need to have a better scoring threat from the "forwards" who are dropping deep to defend/link up play as they haven't been worrying the scoreboard and at this level we need higher conversion rates.
Fair play to Cavan today from a Donegal fan, we were very lucky for both goals and the game could have went either way.
You should win the Tailteann cup easy enough
Gallant display but a loss. Lads gave their all but we were lacking a bit of quality. I’ve seen a lot of comment re “fortutious” goals from the media but both came from glaring mistakes so I think we’re only being let off lightly because we were in Div 4 this year.
The first goal was a calamity of mistakes. Why does Galligan come off his line? Gunner & McLaughlin are there. Why doesn’t one of the 3 of them catch the bloody ball? I’m not sure if it’s Gunner or Ray in the end who knocks it down but if you’re doing that the bottom line is get it out of the danger zone.
Then the second goal is Clarke making a mess of what should be a routine catch for an intercounty player. He didn’t have a good game today. He gave away at least 2 frees that lead to scores in the first half too.
I would just hope that we take the Tailteann Cup seriously now and get extra games into the younger players. A bit more exposure to Croke Park would be an added bonus.
That was some display. Really went for it today, some incredible scores just very unlucky in the end with the two soft goals.
Hopefully some of the older heads will stick about for another year.
Regarding the podcast and the white powder. Absolutely fantastic to see it discussed. I know a lad walked away from my club because it was so prevalent among some of the senior squad and I know there are lads not committing to the county squad due to the chances of it getting detected due to increased testing.
Needs to be far more testing of senior club players and real consequences its detected.
The scoreline in 2019 flattered us, this one absolutely flattered Donegal. A freak goal sealed it, the margins were always going to be tight. Collectively we played really well and no player let us down. Can’t be faulted for effort or execution of plan. Our tackling in the first half was ferocious.
ultimately in a tight contest it came down a bit of luck and we didn’t get it today.
there’s so many positives to take from that game but I would say much like ourselves the lads are gutted as they are going to miss out on an Ulster final on a very fine margin. I’m not sure I could even stomach the Sunday game. This is going to hurt for a while.
I think if your lads take the Next competition seriously they will be hard stopped. Cetainly nobody in it will be wanting to draw Cavan.
I think Oisin Brady was injured though. Was back with Killygarry yesterday as was Conor Smith against Gowna.
Is he on the Hill as well? I hope he brings his own flask of tae
You might see him today !
What’s the story with McVeety and the Lough? I haven’t seen him listed for the last few games- has he gone back to Oz?
Oisin Brady has disappeared too. Fionntain O’Reilly is another of the U20s that has moved into senior.
WAC mentioned that they’ve heard some senior players have said this is their last year. I would have hoped they’d hang around another year to get the team back to Division 2 in the League.
also, where is TED?
we’ll have to wait till Lemlin does the weekly shop in Lidl to give us the full story (including the low down on the middle aisle bargains)
Oisin Kiernan on the bench. Has Conor Madden been dropped or is he injured?
The exact same starting team has been named as the Antrim game. Cian Reilly is in the 26.
Donegal are a good side but far from unbeatable. In two years of Super 8s, they won two games I heard Paul Fitz mention. One was against Meath, not sure who the other was. Over the years in must win games, Donegal have come up short so here’s hoping it happens again Sunday.
Re: Holla / Kiernan, fair enough. I agree, Kiernan is vital to us so i think if fit, will start. I think Martin might have a bigger impact off the bench. I don't (hopefully) see us starting as flat as we did in 2019, and bringing him into a game when the pace has dropped a bit might give him time to work his magic. He might even pop up with a goal....
Donegal definitely have more scoring forwards, but hopefully we don't give them the time and space they need. If we bring the spirit of 2020 i think we have a chance. I hope I'm right that it is close and that we can just shade it.
Lol
Conor Brady wasn't out for the guts of a year though, the Holla was. Hard to call it, I think there will be changes not only in the starting 15 but on the panel as well and i think there will be positional changes to get match ups right. Wouldn't be surprised to see Jason shadow McHugh again and similarly Clarke or the Gunner might just stick to Murphy and where ever he goes. I think Damien Donohoe said Podge to go on Murphy, which wouldn't be a bad call, but that would mean losing Clarke from the middle to drop back.
In terms of a rabbit from the hat, is there a starting place for Caoimhin? Or does he spring him from the bench? Could Conor Madden come back to haunt Donegal?
At a guess, and with no reference to positions:
Ray, Gunner, Faulkner, Fortune, Jason, Moynagh, Conor Brady, Clarke, Thomas, Gerry Smith, Gearoid, Oisin Kiernan, Caoimhin, Lynch, James Smith
Martin Reilly, Cian Madden, Holla, Conor Smith to come off the bench.
Cavan by 1 in a really tense game. :)
