Cavan v Roscommon

[Syferus]

I was in Kiltoom for the league game between Cavan and Roscommon and nice and all as the grounds are, the pitch is so small and tight and not suited to intercounty football in my opinion.

You haven't been to the Hyde in February if you think that was the wrong choice..

[Ringfort]

Cavan have to be firm favourites for this going on current form. We (Ros) appear to be a 'see how it goes on the day' sort of team. If things fall for us we have the ability to run up a score and win the game however put us in a battle and the fight doesn't look to be there. I tried to ignore it at the time but the Galway loss in the league was big in many respects. Win it and we were up to Div 1 with a game to spare whilst also consigning our provincial rivals and historical betters to the ignominy of Div 3. We found ourselves well in front at half time with a big psychological statement about to be made. Move over Galway we're here now. No, not yet, know your place Roscommon came the reply and we folded in a game that potentially had big significance in the struggle for power in Connacht. We got a flukey promotion out of a league that was fairly even over all yet with no significant wins over Galway or Mayo in years we are still the bridesmaids of the province despite the apparent progress being made. We need to step up now and start winning games when we are fancied. We cannot always be a coming team. But I suppose things take time. Hopefully the bad Sligo loss (well done to them) will be used to learn from rather than unravel things and we get a bit of consistency next year in div 1

[Syferus]

Bit unfair there. Kildare, Down games we showed a hell of a fight in coming back from bad positions.

We're a 'see how it goes on the day' team in the sense we don't know if the good Roscommon or bad Roscommon will turn up.

And Galway weren't being relegated if we beat them in the league.

[Rossfan]

Good post Ringfort.
We showed plenty of shortcomings in the NFL ( despite the fluky promotion)
V Cavan -poor error ridden show - lucky enough to get a point.
v Down - shaky start, a great spell before h/t, ropey period middle of 2nd half but Cregg(er!) and Donie Smith came on, we bucked up and won.
V Laois - awful poor show, Donie Kingston played pure puck with our inability to defend.
v Kildare -awful first 20 minutes then we went mad outscoring them 18-6. They were relegated
v Meath - poor enough but thanks to Paddy O'Rourke we in effect got promoted by his pass to Senan.
v Galway - poor- defensive for 1st 25 minutes with a big wind and we lost our way entirely in the second half( when we could have laid down a right marker as Ring said)
v Westmeath - an abject first half, as bad as I've seen since the Tanman era( breaks out in spots), had to bring on U21s 20 hours after a Provincial Final to win it.
v Down - nice game we played pretty well but a meaningless fixture at the end of the day.
Championship
London- awful lack of urgency and very un Championship performance. Giving London 25 shots at goal.......
Sligo - again a lack of intensity/urgency. Should have been beaten by 10. Instead only for bad decisions by 2 Inter County Refs we'd have got an undeserved draw. Says it all when no one is making any issue of those 2 decisions.

Whatever the outcome I hope to see a CHAMPIONSHIP performance against Cavan, full of intensity, urgency, pace etc not oul watery Leagueish fare.
I can but hope that's in us. If not........... what are we at or what are we training for?

[Jinxy]

I was in Kiltoom for the league game between Cavan and Roscommon and nice and all as the grounds are, the pitch is so small and tight and not suited to intercounty football in my opinion.

Eh, that's why they play there.

[Itchy]

Is it true that naughty boys on the lovely Rossie bus had to sit up beside the driver as their behaviour was so naughty?

[Rossfan]

Yes They were all drinking down the back on the way to Shligo.

[Syferus]

Yes They were all drinking down the back on the way to Shligo.

Even the misty rumours are bus-focused these days.

[Shrewdness]

It seems at least three of the Roscommon players who missed the Sligo game, should be available to play Cavan.. Word has it that Conor Daly, Ultan Harney and Donie Shine should be available.....Kevin Higgins and Diarmuid Murtagh will more than likely miss out. The situation with Senan Kilbride is a bit vague.

[Syferus]

At least a D2 team has to win this one.

[Shrewdness]

What are the views of the Cavan posters on this match, or are they saving their views until after the match. One or two of them were very vocal about Ros after we lost to Sligo. Gone fierce quiet now.

[rodney trotter]

Read back over the thread shrewdness, a few did give their view

[Westside]

I think we're up against it.. Killian Clarke and Rory Dunne are players we can't really afford to be without and be confident of beating Division 2 winners. I saw on twitter that we've played Roscommon 7 times since 2012 (including U21 Semi Final) and won just once with an average losing margin of 5 points. It doesn't bode well. I also think there will be a big response from Roscommon.
That said we are going well by all accounts. We've opened up a bit more this year and are moving the ball and creating more scoring opportunities. Gearoid is playing a slightly more advanced role and it's paying dividends. The flatness that we saw in Championship last year after such a good league seems to be gone. We're at home so I'd expect a tight battle. Roscommon's superiority in the front 6 has been what has beaten us over the past few years and I fear Saturday may be the same.

[Syferus]

We'll see how many of that front six are fit.

[Captain Obvious]

If Cavan play like they did against Monaghan and Roscommon repeat the performance from the Sligo game it will be comfortable win for the home side.