Official Cavan GAA Thread

[anglocelt39]

Only heard it via Northern Sound (!) on the net so what you can take out of it is anybodys guess. Anyway much better result. Gather they played at a much greater tempo than the previous games (thats probably stating the obivous). Got a lot of bodies behind the ball and Sheridan/Hannon seemed to make a bit of a difference in defence. attack got good press-Johnston, Martin Reilly and Cullivan at full forward seemed to work. Had to feck off on family duty midway through the second half (damn) but sounds like Givney started off handy enough in the middle when he came on.

Am sure Myles and some of our other travelling support will be able to shed much more light. Would lift the mood a lot, we need to build  now against Limerick in Breffni next weekend.

[Homer]

Had to make do with the wireless myself. BY the sounds of things Mackey played very well along with Galligan and Gibney when introduced. Sheridan received good reports at full back too. Worryingly we let Down back into the game and failed to score in the last fifteen minutes but a great result all the same.

[Celt_Man]

Still on the way home, god bless the mobile. Absolutely cracking result unbelievable second half performance against the wind. Mackey Martin Reilly and cullivan worked the ball short fierce well. Down looked hopeless more than a few times. The full back line were bad, more good luck than good defending but sure I'll take it anyway.  Galliagan went missing for long stretches of the game but in truth without Keating and Givney we wouldn't have won. Keating kicked some great scores from play

[put-it-up]

Also how did Larry fare boys? was he skinning???

[Celt_Man]

Team was Miller, Hannon Sheridan Fannin, McCutcheon flanagan crowe, galligan Mulvey (Givney) martin Reilly, Lyng (keating) Mackey jelly cullivan larry. Larry done well kicked a good point in first half. No competition though when Pierson comes back

[anglocelt39]

Reasons to be cheerful:

1. Without having seen the game. if you were told after Longford, Tipp and Down we would have one win out of three which would you have expected? Which would you have wanted?

2. Important blow struck for potential first round clash.

3. Most importantly as far as I'm concerned, for the first time in god knows how long we seem to have available a few big lads who can play a bit of ball-Sheridan, McCutcheon, Crowe, Galligan, Walsh, Givney, Keating, Cullivan, McCabe. This has to give us options.

4. Absolutely vital to build on this next week.

[whats my name]

ill agree with celt man sheridan looked suspect in at F.B at times and he did get very lucky at times but a good result all in all very impressed with mackey and keating good showing!!!!!

[mylestheslasher]

Made the trip too lads. Got drowned and my hands are still numb. A great fighting win given that the wind almost doubled in strength for the 1st 10 minutes of the 2nd half and in that time we increased our lead. I don't think previous posters are givin Galligan enough credit. He was my man of the match. He fielded some great ball, knocked ball down to his half backs and his work rate was outstanding. One minute he is our corner forward position the next hes at corner back. Our FB line struggled to get tight in the 1st half, conceding ball before trying to win it back. I think they tightened up a lot in the 2nd half with Dermot Shierdan getting the better of his man eventually. Down pumped a load of high ball in to our goal mouth near the end but we dealt with it fairly ok. Half back line were ok. Flanagan being the best and did very well in the 2nd half breaking up tackles and moving the ball on. 2 subs Givney and Keating did well. Givney fiedling a load of kickouts and keating getting two nice points. In the Half forwards Martin Reilly worked hard without doing a lot going forward, Lyng was decent enough before going off. In the 2nd half Mackey put in a tremendous display. On these pages I have given him a bit of abuse in the past but I hold my hand up now and say he has something to offer the team. He was a great outlet fo us into the wind and he carried the ball huge distances at times. He seems to have got the rid of the stupid decisions he used to make and gives nice simple ball. He would have run Galligan close for man of the match. Cullivan played most of the game around the middle and like Mackey was a great outlet. He is an intelligent footballer that can hold up the ball and wait till the best pass is on. Larry was decent in the 1st half and scored one peach of a point. He too was witnessed passing the ball that shocked all around me. He tired in the 2nd half and was replaced. JOhnstone looked unfit but still scored  one tremensous point of his left foot from a tight angle to the left of the posts into the wind. He followed that up a few minutes later with a  point from the rh side line into the wind.

Individual performances aside Cavan showed great character. They worked hard and displayed hunger to show all us internet warriors that they are not a bad team when they want to be. Attitude can make a real difference. Down took us for granted, played a weakened team and then started bringing on the big guns to dig them out of a hole but still we did not waver. I just hope the heads don't swell now and we go out next Satuday thinking we have the game won! I'm of for a hot whiskey

[boojangles]

Well my first Cavan game of the year and I must have brought them luck. Have to say that the brand of football that we played in the 2nd half against terrible conditions was some of the best football I have ever seen Cavan play. Central to this was Cullivan who came out to midfield when Mulvey got gate.His work rate was immense.Mackey was also outstanding and if reproduces a performance like that he is a shoe-in for wing half forward.Down couldnt handle him at all.Flanagan may not be the answer at centre half but man can he play football,he hardly put a foot wrong last night.
Sheridan is not the answer at FB but still did well enough.Coped grand with Coulter for the few minutes he was on. As the game wore on Hannon and Fannin both did very well.IMO Keith Fannin is good enough for that team and has rarely let Cavan down no matter what Keoghan thought of him.
RednBlack I think that John McCutcheon was playing on instructions when not stepping up on their number 12,he was doing feck all damage so I dont see why he should have followed him. he was minding the shop IMO. Thought the young lads did well when introduced,Givney must have caught 4 clean balls at Midfield.Keating kicked 3 points and won a world of ball but the lad needs to look up,he lost the ball 3 times in the last 10 minutes at crucial times and a better team will punish them mistakes.he is far too selfish still and needs alot of coaching to knock it out but he definitely has potential.
Martin Reillys work rate was superb and some of his passing was excellent,I would never have replaced him with the Mad one,Eddie Reilly wouldnt kno how to play controlled possesion football like Cavan had to play last night.The one ball he got he gave it away.
Galligan drifted in and out of the game but he is a presence in the centre and we all know we need big men.Whether he is the answer time will tell but he is still learning and should be given time.
Jelly wasnt at his best but we have come to expect his best all the time.he still kicked 6 points 3 from play,with one magnificent effort in the 2nd half from a very tight angle.One thing I dont like is his bitching to other players,this has to stop.He cant expect the perfect pass all the time.
Larry did well also and worked his socks off,he was actually looking up last night and finding a man with the ball so maybe Carr and Peter are working on him.He kicked one superb score out on the left in the 1st half.
Overall a Great performance and lads really stood up and were counted last nite.They restored a bit of pride to Cavan and thats the main thing.On the negative side it was hard to believe how bad Down were at times and their total lack of tactics when they had the wind.But a win when not many expected it will do.

[boojangles]

Fair fucks to ya on the stats RednBlack, ya must be a journalist or something if ya can take them kinda notes on a game!? I agree with ya about the breaking ball, we have to get in there more although I thought Flanagan was good in that regard.
I dont usually like Mr Coldrick as a ref being from Meath and all that but I thought last nite he gave anything that was in it to us especially in the 2nd half.One or 2 crazy decisions actually went our way for once.Not sure what happened with Mulveys sending off, I believe it was retaliation but it was the linesman who got that wrong.There was one very high tackle on Dermot Sheridan that went unnoticed should have been a yellow.Apart from that I thought he was grand.

[whats my name]

keating got 4 points i think his first point when he came on was a peach of a score id give mackey man of the match played really well he gave some intelligent ball in and in the second half carried the ball when we had the strong breeze against us instead of kicking it aimlessly into the goal keepers hands!!!!

[cavan4ever]

From the Match Thread

Well done to Cavan and back to the drawing board for Down. Poor, poor effort and maybe Division 3 is about right.Struggling to find a positive- Luke Howard was the pick of our defenders until he was yellow carded, Kevin Mc Kernan was one of the few up for it, typified by his block in the 70th minute but the defence remains our greatest worry.Dee Rafferty also got tore in but they badly need to learn to tackle- the first 15 of the second half was brutal .Down have struggled against teams who withdraw a HF to HB but , to be fair, Cian Mackey has some engine in him, and was the difference.Playing the spare man in front of the fullback only works if teams are lumping it in but Cavan's whole game plan was to work it in, particularly in the second half.Holding it up for the excellent Seanie Johnstone was the right tactic, particularly in the second half- Cullivan and the sub Keating were also good.
Jackie has become an embarrassment and Dan is far from match-fit- a bad move to throw Ambrose in on a dirty physical night - ironically he could have won the game if he had connected with Benny's fisted cross but he needs more time before coming back .I can't understand what happened to Kearney - if the team isn't named until Friday , what happened ?And is it true that Benny got injured at soccer or was that just a rumour from the stands?
Half forward line did not count, Daniel has lost whatever he had, Rony showed and tried and Mc Comiskey recovered after a poor start when he came on.If we don't get wins in Longford or Limerickwe could be looking down rather than up - I don't think it will happen but a bad night in more ways than one.
No surprise that Cavan produced - they are a big fit team- excellent FB line, strong spine and Mackey and Johnstone easily the best players on display.Obviously their Sigerson men bring a lot as hard to fathom how this team could lose to Tipp.Interested in their management- Carr was static and seemed to read the game like Harte- nothing like his time with Roscommon - while Peter Reilly called the shots.He was always a brainy footballer and not surprised he's in there. DJ used up a lot more energy than all 3 of our midfielders- would not like to have been in that dressing room. Ross will be sick. Somebody give me a reason to be optimistic.

Anyone think that would be said about a Cavan team.

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

Most points covered so no point regurgetating it. I agree with Boojangles in that we have to assume that McCutcheon was told to withdraw and leave his man which was strange considering how they worked the ball out from the keeper in the first half. I'm not sure what the spare man was meant to achieve but it didn't work IMO. Also I agree with Myles in that Galligan did an incredible amount of work off the ball.
On the negative side I agree with Boojangles again on the Jelly factor. He took a free from the right wing on the 45 that was made for Martin Reilly. Then when Reilly questions it he gets a look from Johnston. Then the next sideline ball from that side, again made for Reilly he holds on to the ball instead of handing it over and is forced to take it by the ref as he's delaying. He's an undbouted talent but as I've said before he makes it hard for us to get behind him.
I also agree that Sherdian was lucky at times at FB but in all fairness he was often out in front of his man and breaking ball. Compare that to the performances at full-back in the Queens, Longford & Tipp games (the ones I was at) and it's an improvement. It might be square peg in round hole tactics but it's better that than no peg. And until Smith is brought in from Killygarry then I'm happy enough with him there.
The players should hold their heads up Today and tomorrow and then focus on Limerick and demand the same standards of themselves.............and each other (ala Jerry Springer

[anglocelt39]

Thanks for all the match reports lads. Apart from the fact that the Down lads were really peed off with their own performance it is very hard to take any negatives from the game. We were minus Walsh, McCabe and Pierson (was he injured?) as well which is worth noting. I thought it was a very interesting comment from some of the Down lads that Peter Reilly seemed really active on the sideline with Carr standing back a bit. I always had a lot of time for Peter as a player, he's a very intelligent and focused guy and we may get a bonus out of all this in growing one of our own.

What's the opinion of our playing posters on Eoin Smith form Killygarry. There seems to be a bit of a groundswell of opinion that he is worth a look in the full back line. Didn't he play full back for Sligo IT a few years ago when they were quite strong? Think he's had a few injury problems. The impression  I get is that he wouldn't be pushed off the ball in a hurry anyway. Absolutely vital now that there is no pissing around and we clock up another win against Limerick next weekend, which will NOT be easy.

[cavan4sam]

Sean Brady was at full forward for us the last day out so if he is on from should prove a good test of Eoin Smiths credentials. Our boys will tired from a tough game last night. Thankfully Sean wasn't playing.