Cavan V Sligo

[SLIGONIAN]

Under lights in Breffni. Have to win it. Last time I was there we made a great comeback and won 1-16 to 1-12. Cavan seem to be flying then again so were Westmeath last year. Ive funny feeling Greene will be our most important player. I always worry about cavan forwards fast and strong and quick on the turn which may create a few one on ones. Need to get the midfield partnership going. I really hope Quinn steps up and proves me wrong. S Davey no one knows what performance he will give. Hopefully Martyn and Mcnamara are back. Is mccabe still playing? Only thing I am sure of is Id say there wont be many from Sligo at the game. I will be though. Brefni is a class ground and sheltered too.

I think sweeney will step up again and we are better than we showed against Meath so we need big performance. Full back line will have learned alot from last game.
This is a championship type game for us more so.

[Red Hurley]

What way is Paul Grimley getting on in Cavan? Armagh will soon realise they made the biggest mistake of all time by allowing him to go. The main man behind Armaghs success.

[magpie seanie]

Greene's kickouts would want to improve. I thought he had it solved but they were cat against Meath.

I think we will have a good chance of a result. I'd expect a reaction to the Meath game and to from what I hear the Meath that played us and the Meath that played Cavan were a totally different animal. A win would bring us back into the mix for the top two. A loss and we're fighting the dreaded bottom 4.

[Owenmoresider]

It's a big game alright, wouldn't want to be travelling to Wexford or Aughrim badly needing a win to avoid D******* F***. Wouldn't be all that confident of our chances, reaction or otherwise, Cavan seem to be going well for a change. Will be there anyway.

[SLIGONIAN]

Have to say I think your right from what I hear meath best performance of the year was against us. Im hoping it will awaken us and we will work harder. We need to win more so will hopefully be more hungry.

[mylestheslasher]

Lads, The team that Meath put out against us was missing Geraghty and I think the rest were more or less the same as played ye. We got a man sent off after 4minutes against them that day in Navan. We completely outplayed Meath that day and they were very very lucky to get a draw. Saying that I expect a big performance from Sligo with their backs to the wall. However, I think Cavan have the best players around the pitch. McCabe is playing well at midfield. Our weakest position has been full back this year but Darren Rabbitte is back for us and will be a big help. Watch out for Ray Cullivan at half forward, a class class act at only 19/20 yrs old. Word is Michael Lyng might also make a comeback which leaves us almost at full strength. Cavan by 4 is my bet.

[SLIGONIAN]

I'll just send on your tips to the Sligo manager (only joking)

[mylestheslasher]

I live in Sligo so I've already been in contact with our management with my acute observations

[Teeling Gael]

Is the general problem with the prospect of Division 4 football been the level we would be playing league football in 2008 or the fact that we would no longer be playing in All Ireland qualifiers? I have no problem if its an issue with the former but my view goes against the grain on the latter.

In essence I don't have a problem with Division 4 teams not playing in the All Ireland Qualifiers. Sligo will have a chance to win the Connaught Championship and once beaten in this what purpose does the qualifiers serve Sligo football? It causes massive problems to the planning, organising and running of our club championships. It calls for a massive commitment for the county panel to play in a competition that they do not have a chance to win. The concentration should be on League status and Connaught Championship as low hanging fruit relative to winning the All Ireland.

No Division 4 team will win the All Ireland. Sligo's greatest team of my memory being the 2001/02 vintages performed at that level after reaching league semi-final and playing essentially in Division 1 of the country.

What you may ask of the Tommy Murphy Cup. Again I feel if used properly it is an excellent tool to develop new talent. One caveat is that it should be played on a midweek night and has little impact on club championship (maximum 3 games after all). Club players who are in the height of fitness have their best opportunity to impress then rather than in FBD league games in January.  If your senior teams managerial rein is over after the Connaught Championship it is either an excellent opportunity for the new incumbent to look at players or more realistically the U21 manager to look over some of his hopefuls. If your outgoing manager is contracted to manage for a second year , its a useful opportunity to cast the net wider.

As I outlined at the start, my view is considered as going against the grain but it's an issue that deserves debate particularly in the light of the doomsday scenario people are portraying relegation to Division 4 and the ensuing non-qualification for the All Ireland qualifiers.

[cavanmaniac]

I'm confident Cavan can nick the win in this one. Confidence is up, the players have reacted very well to Grimley and have put a massive effort in, injured lads are returning and it's a home game too.

You'd be worried about the fade out tendencies as evidenced against Wicklow and Tipp but this is a game the guys should be focused on 100%, a la the McKenna Cup game with Derry or the away game to Westmeath last year

I actually recall Sligo's last visit to Cavan and was very dejected for a short time aterwards about the way we lost. Sligo started to pull and drag (not dirt I hasten to add, just aggression to the limit of the law) and turn the game into a bit of a war in the second half as I remember it, O'Hara needling McCabe all the while. The way Cavan were back then, Sligo knew it was a tactic that would work and our nice guy footballers weren't up for it and simply folded under the pressure. I expect that Grimley and Keogan have addressed this too as there definitely seems to be a more physical dimension to us this year so I'd hope we're better equipped to play a more rounded game instead of looking to play pure football all the while.

Should be a belter. Sligo will be well up for it after losing to Meath but as Myles points out, we have a better spread of talent around the field as a whole, should hold out at midfield with McCabe flying fit and in good form and all going well, I think we'll shade it by 3/4.

[magpie seanie]

Word is that Quinner is probably out for tomorrow night. The belt he got in the ribs from the throw in the last day has meant he hasn't trained since. That'll keep Sligonian happy anyway.

We will be up against it. Any result would be a bonus.

[cavanmaniac]

If O'Hara is playing for Sligo don't be surprised if a few sparks fly between him and Nicko Walsh. Something tells me both will be only too keen to wind each other up.

Still expect Cavan to win although Forde at full back is a massive weak link against a decent Sligo team that won't be a pushover. Still, nice to have a real test again to get the true measure of how this Cavan team are progressing.

[Declan]

Cavan lads whats the story with Keogan?  Bit of a nutter?
See he's had a bit of difficulty with the local guards and has been disqualified from driving and fined for assault and breach of the peace.

[cavanmaniac]

He was lucky it stopped there. His money gets him in and out of alot of trouble.

He's not much of a football brain and is thankfully leaving most of that to Grimley, but is a shrewd businessman and has done well for himself in that realm. He has a reputation as a bit of a loud mouth but I think he has calmed down considerably in recent years, I expect his public profile with Cavan would settle him a bit more anyway.

[magpie seanie]

Very disappointing result despite not actually playing that well. Will comment in more detail tomorrow but rumours of a good Cavan team appear to have been exaggerated.