McLoughlin in praise of Breffni supporters
Paul Fitzpatrick
Cavan defender Jason McLoughlin was many observers' Man of the Match last Saturday in the qualifier win over Westmeath, and the Shannon Gaels man was quick to pay tribute to the team's supporters after the match.
“We probably came in for a bit of criticism after the Armagh game and probably rightly so in some respects, we didn't do ourselves justice on the day and we just wanted to come out there today and put in a performance for our fans, who have followed us throughout the year through thick and thin with the U21s and with the seniors,” said McLoughlin.
“We wanted to give them something to cheer about, we don't mind who we get in the next round, with that support behind us we'll be confident of taking on anybody in the qualifiers. We look forward to the next challenge ahead.
“It was fantastic to look up and see the blue in the stand. Anywhere we go, it's fantastic. When you turn a ball over and you're coming out of defence and you hear the roar go up, it really does add an extra few strides to your run. You don't mind doing it. It's fantastic to have that behind you, and hopefully it will be the same again in two weeks' time.”
The 22-year-old corner-back has been out of action due to injury for much of the season but was back to his best in the one-point win over the Midlanders.
“I had a frustrating year with injuries, niggly injuries held me back and I didn't get a proper run at it but since the Roscommon game I've been injury-free, thankfully, and that's down to the physio staff, they've been fantastic. I'm just doing whatever I have to do to stay fit and the more games you get, the more confidence it breeds.
“We've won a lot at U21 level but today we had to dig deep into the reserves in the last ten minutes. It was getting tight but the lads coming off the bench helped. It just goes to show the depth in the panel we have.
“We have had a few tight games with the U21s down through the years, the likes of Jack, myself,m Mickey, they've all been involved in tight games so it's good to pull through.
“It was like last year against Derry, we pulled through that one – when push comes to shove, we know we have it in us to go that extra few yards, make that extra run, and thankfully today we did that.
“Probably a bit of luck got us through in the end but for most of the second half we were pretty dominant. We'd like to hopefully keep that going for the next few weeks, get the camaraderie good within the squad again for the next championship game.”
Cavan will face Roscommon – whom they have already played twice this season – in the next round of the qualifiers on July 12 at Kingspan Breffni Park.