Official Cavan GAA Thread

[North Longford]

Was in Pearse Park yesterday at the DCU game.
Just some info on the 3 Cavan lads playing.

Dermot Sheridan did ok but he was on the weakest of the Longford FF line. A guy playing his first game. Not sure if he started FB, as I was the other end of the field but if he did he only lasted there a few minutes because Paddy Andres played full back on Brian Kavanagh for most of the game (conceding 1-04).
Hard to judge whether Sheridan is the answer to FB as the corner is a different kettle of fish but it would appear the DCU selectors didn't feel he was up to marking Kavanagh.

Flanagan looks like a good player but I thought he got a raw deal yesterday. He started midfield and was coming out at least 50 50 against a guy of 6'4 including scoring a good point. DCU then had a wing back injured and Flanagan went back there and they brought on Kevin Reilly from Meath to midfield. Reilly didn't do as well as Flanagan had been doing but Flanagan didn't do particularly well at wingback. His man got on a lot of ball (Dowd is a very good player though) and Flanagan moved up to wing forward. H was poor here but that was as much to do with Longford completely dominating around the middle. He did kick a second good point at the very end but I though he didn't look particularly comfortable at half forward and was beaten to a good bit of ball (again though he was on a longford regular whos a very athletic wing back)

Johnstone was the poorest of the 3. After a decent early burst he did very little. Was being marked by another guy playing his first game.  Mortimer and Kelly (tiny fella) the Sligo corner forward were both better than johnstone in the first half when DCU had lots of possession and the 3 men inside had loads of space. DCU's half forwards dropped very deep to give the inside line lots of space. Kicked a point in the second half near the end but only handled the ball a couple of times in the whole second half.

[cavan4ever]

It's tomorrow night alright, Pairc Esler, 8.00pm with the Derry v Fermanagh game on Wednesday night. Won't be able to make the Cavan game myself either.

Anybody going to the Ballinagh game in Navan on Sunday?

Yeah i will probably head up on Sunday for a look, is everyone fit and well?

[Homer]

It's tomorrow night alright, Pairc Esler, 8.00pm with the Derry v Fermanagh game on Wednesday night. Won't be able to make the Cavan game myself either.

Anybody going to the Ballinagh game in Navan on Sunday?

Yeah i will probably head up on Sunday for a look, is everyone fit and well?

There's one or two lads carrying knocks but hopefully they should be right come Sunday.

Cheers for the report North Longford. From what I here Mícheál Lyng was also on the bench too but didn't come on. I don't know how true this is but apparently he has been out injured for the last few weeks after being caught with a boot in a challenge match against Tir Conaill Gaels, which resulted in him having to get 12 stitches in his leg. Must have been some kick!

[Cavanfan]

Yea Lyng got a kick in the leg and had to get stitches. Are the DCU lads available tomorrow night?

[North Longford]

Lyng was listed in the subs but not sure he was even there. They brought on 3 or 4 subs and he wasn't one of them. Certainly if he was fit they could have done with him. They had about 12 subs listed but I'd doubt if they had 7 or 8 togged.
Going back to Flanagan I think they were mad to take him out of the middle. While he was there he looked like a very good player. They guy he was on ended up being the best midfielder on the pitch afterwards.

[cavanmaniac]

Flanagan's talent and versatility seem to hinder him sometimes in that he gets shunted around the field to firefight whatever problems there are. I think he looks best in the half-backs, he has a centre-back's skills but not the physique to be a long-term prospect in the position, so probably on the wings. He's U21 again this year God it looks like we have a decent team at this level once again maybe we'll do ok blah blah fill in the same shit we say every year....

Keoghan kept him stationed at full-back to mark a half-fit Martin Clarke in the minor replay against Down some years ago, if he had been further out the field you have to think we'd have won that game.

Then again, if me auntie had balls she'd be me uncle.

[cavan4ever]

Expected Cavan team for tonight:

1. James Reilly
2. .........................
3. Rory Dunne
4. Martin Reilly
5. John McCutcheon
6. Anthony Forde
7. Barry Watters
8. Lorcan Mulvey
9. Mark Mckeever
10. James CLarke
11. Rory Donohoe
12. .....................
13. Jason Reilly
14. Gerard Pierson
15. Finbar Reilly

Can't remember who the other players i am missing are.
Eddie is injured.

Although Martin Reilly played well corner back against Queens the last day he has something that not many forward in Cavan have and that it the ability to kick points from long range which is why id rather see him in the forwards.

[mylestheslasher]

Cavan beaten by 1 point in Newry. Last minute point 2-12 to 1-16 I think. Eddie and Waters got the goals. McCutcheon sent off in last minute. Got two yellows, took a swipe at someone and then got his two yellows swapped for a straight red. Lyng started but was subbed in 2nd half. Got this from northern sound so apologies if it is inacurrate.

[Homer]

Report from the Indo http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/late-hughes-point-seals-down-win-1271866.html

Late Hughes point seals Down win

Down 1-16 Cavan 2-12

A point by Danny Hughes on the stroke of time gave Down a narrow victory over Cavan in this Gaelic Life Dr McKenna Cup semi final in Pairc Esler Newry last night.

In one of the most exciting game seen for some time both sides treated the game as a championship clash.

Down showed greater hunger and although they conceded two goals, they came back to snatch victory. Despite the wet conditions there was some great fielding by both sides.

Down opened with a point inside a minute from a free by John Fegan. Cavan were level two minutes later when Gerald Pearson set up Finbar O'Reilly to send over the bar.

The winners moved into a four 0-4 0-1 lead after ten minutes but Cavan came back strongly and were level after 20 minutes with some good open football.

Danny Hughes put Down ahead within a minute of the restart but they were shocked four minutes later when a lightening Cavan move saw Finbar O'Reilly set up Barry Watters for a goal. There was misery for Cavan four minutes later when Cavan midfielder Mark McKeever received a straight reed card.

Down came back with two pointed frees by John Fegan to keep them in the game. Midway through the half Cathal Magee pointed from long range and the sides were level again.

The sides were both down to 14 men when Down's Colm Murney received a second yellow card and was dismissed.

Cavan moved up a gear and Finbar O'Reilly regained the lead with a point from a 45, but Kevin McKernan leveled.

Again Cavan regained the lead with a Lorcan Mulvey point. Down had a great chance for a goal but a great Danny Hughes effort came back off the post but two minutes later John Fegan set up Hughes for a goal. But the sides were level again when following a scramble Eddie Reilly poked the ball ton the net and it was level again. Danny Hughes regained the lead with a point. Cavan's John Mc Cutcheon received a second yellow card and was also dismissed a minute into injury-time.

Down -- B. McVeigh; C.McGovern, G. McArdle, M. Cole; D. O'Hanlon, L. Doyle, K. McGuigan; P. Turley, J. Lynch; J. Fegan (0-5 frees), K. McKernan(03), D. Hughes(1-2; J. Clarke(0-3), C. Magee (0-3), R. Sexton. Subs: C.Murney for J.Lynch; R.Murtagh for D. O'Hanlon

Cavan -- J. Reilly; M. Brides (0-1), R. Dunne, M.Reilly; J.McCutcheon, K.Fannin, B.Watters (1-0); L.Mulvey (0-2), M.McKeever; M.Lyng, R.Donohue, E.Reilly (1-1); F. O'Reilly (0-6. 0-2 n45,0-3 frees), G.Pearson (0-1), J. O'Reilly(0-1). Subs: J. Clarke for G.Pearson; D.Gaffney for M.Lyng; R.McCormack for E.Reilly

REF -- J.J. Cleary (Derry).

Report from BBC NI http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7203800.stm

Down qualify for McKenna decider

An late point from Danny Hughes helped Down beat Cavan 1-16 to 2-12 in the Gaelic Life McKenna Cup semi-final.

Down led 0-4 to 0-1 early on but Cavan were level (0-9 to 0-9) by the break.

Barry Watters' goal put Cavan three up but they had Mark McKeever sent off and Down got quickly on terms only for them to have sub Colm Murney dismissed.

Danny Hughes' goal helped Down move three ahead but John McCutcheon's goal levelled late on before he was sent off and Hughes then struck the winner.

The Mourne County will face either Fermanagh or Derry in Saturday's final.

Derry take on the Erne County in Wednesday's second semi-final at Omagh (2000 GMT).

Kevin McKernan (two), John Fegan and Cathal Magee were on target for Down early on as they forged a 0-4 to 0-1 lead.

However, Michael Brides, Eddie Reilly and Gerard Pierson hit the next three scores as Cavan levelled.

Down did move two ahead again in the second quarter but two Finbarr O'Reilly frees before the break brought the sides level.

Cavan looked to have struck a crucial blow when Watters slammed in his team's first goal six minutes into the second half.

However, almost immediately Cavan midfielder Mark McKeever received a straight red card after an off-the-ball incident and Down used their man advantage to reply with three quick scores to level.

Down sub Colm Murney was sent off after getting his second yellow card on 55 minutes.

Finbarr O'Reilly's point edged Cavan ahead again inside the final 10 minutes but Danny Hughes' 65th-minute goal put Down 1-14 to 1-12 ahead.

Cathal Magee's third point extended Down's lead to three but John McCutcheon then levelled for Cavan when he scrambled in his team's second goal.

McCutcheon's goal was his final involvement in the game as he received his second caution in the dying seconds of the contest to leave Cavan with only 13 players.

Hughes supplied the winner to put Down in the final.

John Fegan finished with five points for Down while Hughes contributed 1-2

[Homer]

Looks like McKeever will get landed with at least a months suspension and miss a couple of League games now.

The same could be true for McCuthcheon if Northern Sound were correct.

Was only talking to a fella at the game for a minute and he reckoned it was the best game he's been at in a while and that Cavan would have taken it with a full 15.

[cavanmaniac]

I suppose there's reason to be encouraged somewhat seeing as it was a largely very experimental team we had out, I'd say approx 10 of whom had no senior involvement last year or have been off the scene for a while. Down defintely had the edge in experience I'd say and with Podge, Johnston, McCabe, Hannons, Flanagan, Sean Brady to come back as well, you'd nearly be getting hopeful if you hadn't seen this so many times before.

Sendings off a bit disappointing though and when all's said and done it's only January and it doesn't matter a shiny shite really.

[cavan4ever]

I suppose there's reason to be encouraged somewhat seeing as it was a largely very experimental team we had out, I'd say approx 10 of whom had no senior involvement last year or have been off the scene for a while. Down defintely had the edge in experience I'd say and with Podge, Johnston, McCabe, Hannons, Flanagan, Sean Brady to come back as well, you'd nearly be getting hopeful if you hadn't seen this so many times before.

Sendings off a bit disappointing though and when all's said and done it's only January and it doesn't matter a shiny shite really.

He will miss the first 2 league games apparently which ain't good cos he has been best player so far this year and with Walsh gone we are limited around the middle of the field.

[LackenLegend]

He will miss the first 2 league games apparently which ain't good cos he has been best player so far this year and with Walsh gone we are limited around the middle of the field.

Are you serious? Limited without Walsh. I would have said that we are fairly limited when hes there!

[cavan4ever]

He will miss the first 2 league games apparently which ain't good cos he has been best player so far this year and with Walsh gone we are limited around the middle of the field.

Are you serious? Limited without Walsh. I would have said that we are fairly limited when hes there!

Limited in the players on panel who can play midfield. 

[BallyhaiseMan]

no problem,

Good oppertunity to play Declan Gaffney and see what hes got now.

reading on the down page that we won the midfield battle well, thats a new one for us,Im guessing Mulvey and McKeever were both very good,

Like seeing Eddie at wing forward ,gives a good 3rd target for Millers massive kickouts aswell.

Id be very happy with the McKenna cup, 4 good practice games which have thrown up,McCutcheon, Bary Watters, Martin Reily and Rory Dunne tio prominence.

Nicholas Walsh has left the panel? wonder what happened with that.