Published: Wednesday, 30th June, 2010 5:00pm

Tough assignment ahead for juniors

Terry Hyland has prepared his team with focus and determination.

There are interesting times on the Cavan GAA scene, with the minors playing in an Ulster semi-final on Sunday evening, the ladies in an Ulster final on the same day, and of course Cavan Juniors are taking on Louth in the Leinster Junior Final, this evening Wednesday at 7pm in Drogheda.

The Cavan Junior team managed by Terry Hyland have prepared with great focus and determination for this final showdown.

Cavan have already defeated Wexford and Meath. The played excellently in the first half against Wexford and eventually ran out easy winners. Then they won a low scoring game against Meath on a blustery day.

Terry revealed that the junior squad were brought in during recent weeks and they have being playing games against the senior team. They have lost Lorcan Mulvey, Dane O'Dowd and Michael Brennan since the Meath game, because they have all gone to the senior team.

To fill the void and boost the panel he revealed that they have brought in Trevor Crowe, Laken, Joey Jordan, Lavey, and Thomas Reilly from Killeshandra, Barry Reilly, Kingscourt and Niall Smith, Cavan Gaels.

He says it is a tough assignment to play Louth in their own back yard and the Wee County will have the services of players like Colin Goss, who was the regular senior full back for years, the fine midfielder Sean O'Neill and Mark Stanfield.

Louth won the Leinster junior title last year and they train regularly with the seniors.

It is a 60-minute final and Terry Hyland knows that they will be extremely fit, because Peter Fitzpatrick puts a big emphasis on fitness.

The Cavan supremo said the reason they entered this competition was to give players extra competition and have a look at them in the context of their senior prospects.

He says you have to go into all games confident that you are going to win them. Louth beat a fairly good Kildare tram in the semi-final but it was also a low scoring game.

They played Louth last year in the first round and lived with them for about 50 minutes, and then they pulled away for victory. There are lots of players in the Cavan team who have lots of experience at inter county level, at various grades in recent years.

Cavan: Darren Murphy, Drumlane; Owen McPhillips, Denn; Owen Smith, Killygarry; Mark Johnston, Cornafean; Niall Reilly, Ballinagh; Padraig Cahill, Killygarry; Kevin Donohoe, Drumalee; Trevor Crowe, Lacken; Adrian Taite, Cuchullains; Darren Costello, Denn; Ray Galligan, Lacken; Stephen Jordan, Lavey; Eamon Reilly, Shannon Gaels; Declan McKiernan, Killeshandra; Philip Brady, Mullahoran.