USFC Semi Final, Cavan V Antrim, Clones,Saturday 27th June at 7pm

[mylestheslasher]

Agree with a lot of what maniac says. Haven't been home since the Fermanagh game, is there much hype about the game? My feeling is that there is not. In fact I did read last weeks celt and there wasn't a word written about it. There seems to be a lot of hype in Antrim judging by the couple of articles pasted on this thread. I like the idea of Cavan having a low profile build up to the game and all the media swarming around antrim. Antrim, no more than cavan, will have little of experience in dealing with all the attention and that might make their preparitions more difficult as they try to keep their feet on the ground. However, most games are won on the pitch. I hope that we can win midfield. If we can we will no doubt be facing a mass defence and Seanie being double marked. It'll be an energetic running game from Cavan I'd imagine. In defence, while we are not great, I expect us to get men around the antrim attack and make them shoot under pressure. I'm not sure they have the quality there to score under pressure. Cavan will again need to match the antrim work rate to win this. I think Tommy Carrs preperation has been very good so far and I see no reason he won't have the lads ready for this so for me it is Cavan by 3. 0-15 to 0-12 Hopefully!

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

Cavan people don't do hype. They'd be the opposite of Mayo fans IMO. The latter reckon they're going to win the AI every year while regardless of what our lot do they get negative reactions. I work in the area and all you hear is "sure who have the beaten", "now if they don't beat antrim....." and "it'd be worse to win cos tyrone will batter them". This is typical of Cavan and I just bite my tongue and away I go.
I think the game is relatively easy to assess and has been done so by Maniac & Myles. This game will be won and lost by Cavan's mindset. They have a better team, not world beaters, but a better team. If they approach it properly and do the simple things right, they should win. But you can't legislate for Miller falling asleep up against the post, for Mackey getting injured or for Johnston thinking he's above all of this. I think Johnston will be double-marked and I think Cavan will exploit this with the 3 Catlerathan boys and Martin Reilly dropping deep to create chances.
I'd be fearful of our FB line. Let's face it, nothing has changed just because we beat Fermanagh (now I'm sounding like the rest of them) and Hannon has looked sluggish in all games bar the Limerick one. They could get a run-around if we lose it at midfield and they're fed enough possession. I'd also be fearful of our lack of ability to find the net. We don't score many and Podge was the man who walked one in against Louth.
But ulimatelyl I'll go for a Cavan win by 0-16 to 0-12. COME ON THE BREFFNI. (excuse me).

[imtommygunn]

Interesting reading the cavan opinions there.

The school of thought here seems to be Johnston will be double marked and he probably will be but I hope that won't be exploited. Fermanagh played the spare man back and look where that got them. However he does need some watching...

To be honest I think looking at it you have two very porous FB lines so there's potential o be a few goals in this one. Who Antrim play in the FF line is anyone's guess. Last day they went for ball winning and I hope they do the same though I hope Mick McCann goes further out.

I wouldn't agree Cavan have the better players. Johnston aside there are some decentones but gone are the teams with the top drawer players like Forde, McCabe, Peter Reilly, Jason O/Reily,even McKeever had ability wherever he is and a few other ones.

That being said a few do have good ability. Mackey against Scullion should be interesting. I think 13 and 14 whatever their names will trouble us. Both seem like boys who can run about like headless chickens with Mackey looking to have improved a lot the last day. Midfield should be about even -Mulvey lorded last year but there are some big fellas for antrim this year-but I think Antrim have better forwards and a half decent half back line which I'm not convinced Cavan have. Also Fermanagh would have won by 5 or 6 with a free taker. From either side.

All that being said a lot of it is optimism and cavan should be favourites. They've won the last few.

I expect a shoot out...
Antrim 2-19 Cavan 1-17...

Ok more realistically
Antrim 1-12 Cavan 1-10

[trim blue]

Cavan will have an advantage in that Antrim will play a similar game to Fermanagh while Cavan will play a faster game than Donegal and pose them a different set of problems. Having said that Antrim have better forwards than Fermanagh so a lot depends on who gets the most possession in midfield, both midfields have improved since last year but I still see Cavan shading it here. Cavan 1-14 Antrim 1-11.

[ONeill]

Antrim team to play Cavan in the Ulster SFC semi-final at Clones on Sunday, 28 June:

P Graham; C Brady, A McClean, K O'Boyle; T Scullion, J Crozier, J Loughrey; M McCann, A Gallagher; T O'Neill, K Brady, N McKeever; P Cunningham, S Burke, T McCann.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Antrim team to play Cavan in the Ulster SFC semi-final at Clones on Sunday, 28 June:

P Graham; C Brady, A McClean, K O'Boyle; T Scullion, J Crozier, J Loughrey; M McCann, A Gallagher; T O'Neill, K Brady, N McKeever; P Cunningham, S Burke, T McCann.

More or less as you were from the last day...O'Boyle in for D McCann...same tactics as the last day?...keep it very tight for the first 50 mins and then push on a bit more in the last 20??

myles and Lawrence...I've heard plenty of the "it'd be worse to win, for Tyrone will slaughter ye..." from Antrim people as well!!  I don't detect much hype from Antrim fans.  This game is winnable from an Antrim point of view but it's by no means certain.  At the moment I'd call it 55/45 to Cavan.  You beat us by 5 last year and probably could've been more.  But I thnk we're a bit better than last year and I think Bradley has added something to this squad.  We've an inexperienced goalie, and our FB line has been known to let in the odd goal here and there in the past.  I like our HB line...getting better as time goes on and I think James Loughrey has the makings of a fine footballer.  At MF we rarely dominate but you'll probably see McKeever in there and both he and Gallagher are reasonable in the air but they have a tendency to lose possession on the ground.  We've decent forwards but traditionally Antrim don't post big scores.  Both teams got over the finish line in the first games but either could have lost.  Could we see a draw??

Antrim 1-11  Cavan 0-14

BTW The bookies have us at 2/1.  I might have a sniff at that!!

[GrandMasterFlash]

Has Sean Kelly (St Galls) retired from inter-county? Always rated him as a good half-back..

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Has Sean Kelly (St Galls) retired from inter-county? Always rated him as a good half-back..

Great footballer esp. with the ball in hand...opted out last year due to studying in England...don't think he made himself availalble this year...maybe some of the Gallsmen on the board will know better.

[Antrim lad]

Has Sean Kelly (St Galls) retired from inter-county? Always rated him as a good half-back..

Great footballer esp. with the ball in hand...opted out last year due to studying in England...don't think he made himself availalble this year...maybe some of the Gallsmen on the board will know better.

Think I seen him and CJ down at the Donegal game and was wondering why he wasnt playing myself??

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Travel Advice From Antrim County Board

Antrim Football Fans, travelling to Clones, especially by Mini Bus, Coach or Bus, are strongly advised to take the MI to Ballygawley on Saturday night and from there to Aughnacloy and then on to Monaghan.

The road, whilst slightly longer, is good and there is little chance of being caught up or delayed in either Portadown or Armagh in consequence of Band Parades, which are now taking place as part of the 'marching season'.

[OverThePostsAWide]

Has Sean Kelly (St Galls) retired from inter-county? Always rated him as a good half-back..

Great footballer esp. with the ball in hand...opted out last year due to studying in England...don't think he made himself availalble this year...maybe some of the Gallsmen on the board will know better.

Think I seen him and CJ down at the Donegal game and was wondering why he wasnt playing myself??

Big loss (Sean Kelly, I mean)

[Maguire01]

Travel Advice From Antrim County Board

Antrim Football Fans, travelling to Clones, especially by Mini Bus, Coach or Bus, are strongly advised to take the MI to Ballygawley on Saturday night and from there to Aughnacloy and then on to Monaghan.

The road, whilst slightly longer, is good and there is little chance of being caught up or delayed in either Portadown or Armagh in consequence of Band Parades, which are now taking place as part of the 'marching season'.

That should have read "caught up, or delayed, or your car stoned..."

[boojangles]

Travel Advice From Antrim County Board

Antrim Football Fans, travelling to Clones, especially by Mini Bus, Coach or Bus, are strongly advised to take the MI to Ballygawley on Saturday night and from there to Aughnacloy and then on to Monaghan.

The road, whilst slightly longer, is good and there is little chance of being caught up or delayed in either Portadown or Armagh in consequence of Band Parades, which are now taking place as part of the 'marching season'.

That should have read "caught up, or delayed, or your car stoned..."

Well unless Antrim fams decide to take a detour through Navan and Kells that is unlikely to happen.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Will be off line for the next few days (no I haven't been banned over the Wacko Jacko thread) so best of luck to Antrim.  Promotion from Div 4 and an Ulster final appearance would be nose bleed stuff!  Hope to see some posters down at Clones...I'll be in an Antrim baseball cap and look like my playing days are well well behind me!

[boojangles]

Cavan 1-12
Antrim 0-13

He's always good for a goal he is Jayo Jayo He's always good for a goal he is Jayo Jayo
C-o-m-e O-n Y-o-u Boys in Blue Come on you boys in blue come on you boys Come on you boys in blue
If you'v won FIVE All-Irelands clap your hands If you'v won FIVE All-Irelands clap your hands
Jellys gonna get ya Jellys gonna get ya