Cavan v Galway (Sunday 3rd April 2016 2pm - Breffni Park)

[Captain Obvious]

This is like a league final more important than the league final against Tyrone. Both sides with a lot of underage success to be rewarded with division one football next year.

Will TG4 cover this game live? They should.

[twohands!!!]

Galway seem to be doing their damnedest to avoid promotion - wonder what the odds are on them losing out on promotion as a result of a 4th straight draw and their only loss being to Tyrone by 2 points.

At the moment I'm inclined to think that Cavan are just that bit more suited for battling to avoid relegation in Division 1 next year.

[Duine Eile]

At least for the draws with Meath and Armagh the lads had to battle and fight back to level both games, yesterday on the other hand was a disaster all round. The amount of chances kicked short, wide, not taken, misplaced passes was unbelievable. If they're at that next Sunday it's not going to be pretty! Hard to believe this could be Galway's last competitive match until June 18th if they lose.

[Westside]

2 nil in all Irelands. Cavan won 3 ulsters but...

I don't think they'll fear Cavan because of that, itchy. Galway are usually good in the big matches. Are Cavan? More fan pressure on them ?

If that's the best statistic you can come up with seafood you are in trouble.

What was the last big match Galway won?

From last year's game, only 7 of the Cavan starting side will be the same next Sunday. Galway showed no "big match" temperament that day. The support for Galway was exceptionally poor and there was barely a murmur from the Galway fans even when the hurling supporters started to file in after half time. The team looked a class above Cavan in the first half when things were going well but as soon as Cavan upped their game and began to press Galway they folded, the players panicked. There was no goodwill in the stands for the team, no urging them on, there was almost the expectation from the crowd that the team would let the lead slip. That said I haven't found a more gracious bunch in the stands before or since and no doubt the attitude is a symptom of the team's fortunes.

There is definite supporter pressure on the Cavan team. The interest in Cavan football is huge and there's a massive bandwagon if things start going well. You only have to look at the U21 Final in 2011, we brought upwards of 10,000, Galway brought a few hundred. That pressure and interest definitely weighed on those lads that day.

There's less pressure and expectation on Galway next Sunday and I would be surprised if we don't see a nervy display from Cavan. I do feel that we have a better calibre of player to deal with that pressure now though. Only 1 of the 2011 U21 team is guaranteed to start next Sunday.

[seafoid]

2 nil in all Irelands. Cavan won 3 ulsters but...

I don't think they'll fear Cavan because of that, itchy. Galway are usually good in the big matches. Are Cavan? More fan pressure on them ?

If that's the best statistic you can come up with seafood you are in trouble.

What was the last big match Galway won?

From last year's game, only 7 of the Cavan starting side will be the same next Sunday. Galway showed no "big match" temperament that day. The support for Galway was exceptionally poor and there was barely a murmur from the Galway fans even when the hurling supporters started to file in after half time. The team looked a class above Cavan in the first half when things were going well but as soon as Cavan upped their game and began to press Galway they folded, the players panicked. There was no goodwill in the stands for the team, no urging them on, there was almost the expectation from the crowd that the team would let the lead slip. That said I haven't found a more gracious bunch in the stands before or since and no doubt the attitude is a symptom of the team's fortunes.

There is definite supporter pressure on the Cavan team. The interest in Cavan football is huge and there's a massive bandwagon if things start going well. You only have to look at the U21 Final in 2011, we brought upwards of 10,000, Galway brought a few hundred. That pressure and interest definitely weighed on those lads that day.

There's less pressure and expectation on Galway next Sunday and I would be surprised if we don't see a nervy display from Cavan. I do feel that we have a better calibre of player to deal with that pressure now though. Only 1 of the 2011 U21 team is guaranteed to start next Sunday.

Galway  haven't had a big match for a while but these players have a good record underage and know how to win.  Poor Meath are still stuck in purgatory.
Galway played Cavan mid league last year. Playing Cavan in d2 in the middle of the league is not a big match with all due respect.

[Itchy]

Ah come on. No big games in Connacht? What about the appearance in the quarter finals. Seafood, you are making no sense yet again. Stick to freeing women's nipples.

[Captain Obvious]

Ah come on. No big games in Connacht? What about the appearance in the quarter finals. Seafood, you are making no sense yet again. Stick to freeing women's nipples.

[Maroon Manc]

Is Seanie Johnston injured?

Drawing our last 3 games has been very disappointing but even if we'd won all 3 we'd still need to get something in Cavan. Going into the Fermanagh game the stats had shown that Galway had greatly reduced the amount of frees they'd been conceding in previous years, I'm sure they'd conceded less points from frees than any other team in any of the 4 divisions all year; From listening to GBFM and from some of the reports from the game many of those frees appeared soft.

I really haven't a clue what to expect on Sunday, every neutral appears to be tipping Cavan to win the game so there'll be a bit of expectation on Cavan shoulders come Sunday and we don't know how they'll  cope with that.

If before a ball had been kicked in this years campaign I'd be told that Galway would need to win in Cavan to go up I'd certainly have taken it.

[Duine Eile]

Is Seanie Johnston injured?

Drawing our last 3 games has been very disappointing but even if we'd won all 3 we'd still need to get something in Cavan. Going into the Fermanagh game the stats had shown that Galway had greatly reduced the amount of frees they'd been conceding in previous years, I'm sure they'd conceded less points from frees than any other team in any of the 4 divisions all year; From listening to GBFM and from some of the reports from the game many of those frees appeared soft.

I really haven't a clue what to expect on Sunday, every neutral appears to be tipping Cavan to win the game so there'll be a bit of expectation on Cavan shoulders come Sunday and we don't know how they'll  cope with that.

If before a ball had been kicked in this years campaign I'd be told that Galway would need to win in Cavan to go up I'd certainly have taken it.

Extremely soft some of them were, bordering on ridiculous. At one stage Fermanagh were taking a free, Eddie Hoare was running back to his position, the Fermanagh player kicked the ball at him and Eddie got a yellow card for obstruction!

[mrdeeds]

Yeah Seanie Johnston probably injured. Pulled up with hamstring versus Laois.

[Westside]

Well Galway won't need to worry too much about giving away frees in the wider reaches of the scoring zone. Our free taking is very haphazard. Gearoid, Johnston, Galligan and Martin Reilly are all interchanging. We badly need to sort it out before Championship.

How is Danny Cummins going this year? Caused us a world of grief last year and but for poor finishing he could have been the game winner for Galway.

[An Fhairche Abu]

Is Seanie Johnston injured?

Drawing our last 3 games has been very disappointing but even if we'd won all 3 we'd still need to get something in Cavan. Going into the Fermanagh game the stats had shown that Galway had greatly reduced the amount of frees they'd been conceding in previous years, I'm sure they'd conceded less points from frees than any other team in any of the 4 divisions all year; From listening to GBFM and from some of the reports from the game many of those frees appeared soft.

I really haven't a clue what to expect on Sunday, every neutral appears to be tipping Cavan to win the game so there'll be a bit of expectation on Cavan shoulders come Sunday and we don't know how they'll  cope with that.

If before a ball had been kicked in this years campaign I'd be told that Galway would need to win in Cavan to go up I'd certainly have taken it.

Extremely soft some of them were, bordering on ridiculous. At one stage Fermanagh were taking a free, Eddie Hoare was running back to his position, the Fermanagh player kicked the ball at him and Eddie got a yellow card for obstruction!

Galway had conceded 11 points in total from frees in 5 matches up to last Sunday, Fermanagh got 7 scored frees in one game, that speaks for itself really.

[mouview]

Well Galway won't need to worry too much about giving away frees in the wider reaches of the scoring zone. Our free taking is very haphazard. Gearoid, Johnston, Galligan and Martin Reilly are all interchanging. We badly need to sort it out before Championship.

How is Danny Cummins going this year? Caused us a world of grief last year and but for poor finishing he could have been the game winner for Galway.

Cummins is in-and-out a bit, seems to have more joy coming on as an impact sub. Had his poor finish before HT last year gone under instead of over the bar, we probably wouldn't be playing ye on Sunday!

On balance I agree with an earlier suggestion that it would probably be better for Galway to get promoted and expose our players consistently to top-class opponents, not withstanding the fact that they would probably get several absolute hidings in Div. I. However, I'm not sure if many supporters realise how truly ordinary this Galway team is, really, really average. Bad keeper, porous defence, inconsistent midfield, few natural scoring forwards, too much lateral attacking play etc. We have loads of players at the back that are 'good going forward' but maybe none that can do the primary task of defending well. We've gone back even since last year I feel, and last Sunday was just one of several nadirs (incl. c'ship defeats to Antrim and Wexford (at home!)) in recent years. Respect to Fermanagh, but if we can't beat a county with the smallest playing resources in the GAA, a county who have lost all other league matches to us, were down to 14 men and who had to retrieve a lead against the wind, then we really need to take a look at where we're going. Very little faith left in the mgmt. after Sunday.

[seafoid]

Ah come on. No big games in Connacht? What about the appearance in the quarter finals. Seafood, you are making no sense yet again. Stick to freeing women's nipples.

Connacht doesn't count, Itchy. Only big matches like Semi and all Ireland finals 
QFs are nothing to write home about either. I wouldn't pay much attention to them. If you are not good enough you are not good enough. This team should be better than that of the last few years

[Maroon Manc]

Well Galway won't need to worry too much about giving away frees in the wider reaches of the scoring zone. Our free taking is very haphazard. Gearoid, Johnston, Galligan and Martin Reilly are all interchanging. We badly need to sort it out before Championship.

How is Danny Cummins going this year? Caused us a world of grief last year and but for poor finishing he could have been the game winner for Galway.

You've just summed Cummins up, if only his finishing matched the other aspects of his game; He lacks a bit of composure but he'd still be in the Galway team if I was picking it.