Cavan V Donegal Quarter-Final USFC June 12th 3.30pm

[boojangles]

Over to ye lads.

[Denn Forever]

I'd say Cavan posters are not saying much as we've had our summer with the exploits of the U21's.

Donegal can't be as bad as they were against Antrim and hopefully the weather will be a bit better.  The unfortunate thing is that if we beat them, they have a second chance in the qualifiers.

Hope they don't play the "everyone behind the ball" as I don't think we have the quality to dispossess them.

But anyone can win on the day and choose your own cliché.

Cavan Abu.

[Westside]

It would be a shock if Cavan were to win this and it does seem like the sort of game that will be a dogfight but with Donegal in control and running out 5 point winners. I sincerely hope I'm wrong though.

My Cavan team would be:
              Reilly
Minagh     Corr            O'Dowd
McKeever McCutcheon D. Reilly
       Givney, McKiernan
Cullivan     Nesty          Lyng
Keating   McDermott  Johnston

But Padraic O'Reily, Flanagan, Fannin, McEnroe, Carroll could all make strong cases for inclusion..

[mylestheslasher]

Its the 1st championship game in a long time that I would struggle to guess who at least 5 of the starting team will be with the recent influx of U21's, injuried and unexplained dissappearances of players of the team sheet for recent challenges. Donegal might play an ugly brand of football but they do look more like a team with a solid game plan than us. They also have a couple of real classy players that can do real damage. They'd have to be real strong favourites. One chink of light is that Hyland got the better of McGuinness in the U21 Ulster Semi and given that I'd expect both teams to play a similar style, maybe Hyland can out-fox McGuinness again. I hope so but I think not.

[J70]

On paper, we should have enough to win this by a couple of points, but you never know in Ulster, and especially with Donegal. At least we've a point to prove after the last day, so hopefully complacency will not be a problem, as it was the last time we met Cavan in 2005. That day we were playing them in the qualifiers after they'd been beaten by 20-odd points by Tyrone in Ulster. As often happens, we just didn't show up on the day and found ourselves eight or nine points down, before Brendan Devenney, in the type of tour-de-force performance he used to produce fairly often in his early days in the county jersey, single-handedly dragged us back into it, before missing a last minute penalty that would have won the game. Hopefully we'll take the field with the right attitude this time.

Apparently Michael Murphy was in hospital recently with some sort of leg infection, but is expected to be fit. Same with Rory Kavanagh, who was also a doubt for a while. Adrian Hanlon has been dropped from the panel for disciplinary reasons, which might mean a start for Patrick McBrearty, the 17 year old Kilcar lad who came on the last day after playing the minor game.

[Breffni_Yank]

I'd say Cavan posters are not saying much as we've had our summer with the exploits of the U21's.

Donegal can't be as bad as they were against Antrim and hopefully the weather will be a bit better.  The unfortunate thing is that if we beat them, they have a second chance in the qualifiers.

Hope they don't play the "everyone behind the ball" as I don't think we have the quality to dispossess them.

But anyone can win on the day and choose your own cliché.

Cavan Abu.

I would be the complete opposite and I'm praying Donegal come and play the same brand of football. If they actually came and attacked and made use of the scoring threats of Molloy, Murphy and McFadden I think we would be absolutely killed.

At least if they are playign defensively we can try and keep tagging on points and you just never know...

[ck]

If Donegal would play positive attacking football they would be a threat in Ulster and would beat Cavan. With McGuinness at the helm I'm not so sure. He has to be the most defensive manager in the country?
I have seen a few games this year with Donegal and they play the same way every game. McGuinness knows no other way. It was his rise to success with the U.21s and it will be his downfall with the seniors.

[tommysmith]

I dont think that Andrews/Hyland have a clue of what their best team is and have being ringing around lads to try and get them to play full back.

Edit:  Minagh has left the panel to go on holidays.

[seafoid]

Will there be many of the under 21s playing for Cavan ?   
It would be good if the positive momentum could be kept going .

[mylestheslasher]

Will there be many of the under 21s playing for Cavan ?   
It would be good if the positive momentum could be kept going .

We don't really have a clue to be honest. My guess is one or two. Hyland is not a man for throwing young lads into these matches.

[Breffni_Yank]

I dont think that Andrews/Hyland have a clue of what their best team is and have being ringing around lads to try and get them to play full back.

Edit:  Minagh has left the panel to go on holidays.

Who are these people they have been ringing?

Minnagh will be a loss, I would have thought he would have slotted in at corner-back and added a bit of steel. I'd be very worried about our FB line to be honest.

I don't think too many of the u21s' will feature. Seen this list on the Hogan Stand, I can only assume its correct thought very suprised to not see Jack Brady involved.

Gearoid McKiernan - Should be starting at midfield. When I saw him in the u21 final he looked like the best think we have produced in a long time. Failed to deliever in the following two games though so big test for him.
Alan O'Mara - No chance of taking James Reilly's place
Niall Murray - If Flanagan is injured then he will start I'd guess
Michael Brady - No chance of playing in my opinion
Niall McDermott - I'd have him corner-forward with Johnston and Keating around him
Fergal Flanagan - Might start now that Minnagh is gone. Realistically what backs do we have to pick from?
Oisin Moynagh - Woulda been playing if he was about
Damien Barkey - Will need another year or two
Barry Reilly - Dont think he will start ahead of Nesty or Lyng. Nice sub to have
Niall McKiernan - Honestly don't know anything about him

Off topic I know but where is Hannon gone? Either way can't see more than 4 21's starting and that is an absolute maximum

[Westside]

Minagh gone is a big blow. Was one of unsung heroes of the U21 campaign. Disappointing to see that he chose holidays over Senior Championship but maybe the lad thought he had no more to give this year.. Cavan are extremely weak from 2-7. A fullback line of O'Dowd Corr/Carroll and McEnroe will not be good enough. Feargal Flanagan did a fantastic job on Coney in the Ulster final and should never have been left on Cummins in the AI Final, perhaps he could be sent out to do a man marking job. The halfback line is mediocre at best.
Big questions remain over Gearoid at midfield after the Wexford and Galway games but perhaps with Givney taking the focus off him he will come back to better form, he's as good an option as we have and will surely start. McDermott and Murray are possibles but who knows, do the Cavan Managers even know?
I think Hannon was struggling with injuries and there was questions over whether he would be fit for intercounty football again, then he was let go from the panel.

[Denn Forever]

Any body see the ad for the game in the Celt?  Very Soccer Sunday/Rumble in the Jungle type of thing.  Ulster Marketing department gone mad?

Good thing is it says U16s free into the terraces and uncovered seats.  Sense being shown at last.  Is this an Ulster policy or country wide policy?

[mylestheslasher]

Has gearoid mckiernan has played in of the challenge games? It wouldn't suprise me if he didn't start. He has also played a crazy amount of football this last year.

[armaghniac]

Is this an Ulster policy or country wide policy?

U-16s have always been free in to Ulster games in recent years. Not that you would think this given some of the complaining that goes on.