The opposition: what Cavan can expect
GAA
What can Cavan expect from the other seven sides in Division 4 of this year’s National League? KEVIN EGAN runs the rule over the runners and riders ahead of the big throw-in this weekend.
Leitrim
Manager: Andy Moran
(1st Season)
County profile: The recruitment of the 2017 footballer of the year is a solid move from the Leitrim county board, as any element of naivety or inexperience in his coaching is less significant than the fact that his reputation will be the reason why a few extra players will commit to the cause instead of sitting the year out. Getting their best players onto the field will always be the biggest challenge for a county that has just too many natural disadvantages to overcome.
Key man: Paddy Maguire is the driving force of this team, manning the centre back berth and anchoring the defence incredibly well. If he was a native of Mayo or Tyrone, he’d probably start as a corner back rather than a six, but Leitrim can ill-afford to have their best player in such a peripheral role.
Potential threat: Tom Prior was the star man on the Leitrim U-20 side last year, and then carried that form into the club championship with Ballinamore, where he was a key man in driving Seán O’Heslin’s to their first senior title in 31 years. He’s absolutely not a big man, but that won’t stop him putting this team on his shoulders and carrying them as far as he can.
League prediction: Leitrim will expect to beat London at home, but on paper, there aren’t too many other fixtures where they look like they’ll have a strong chance of success. Expect them to finish well out of the running.
When they play Cavan: Sunday January 30th, 2 p.m., at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada
How that game might go: Cavan are a little unlucky to meet Leitrim in week one, as there will be a spring in their step for the first big home game of the Andy Moran era. As such, there is a bit of a banana skin element to the tie, even if it still should result in a five or six point away win.
Wexford
Manager: Shane Roche (2nd season)
County profile: The Paul Galvin experiment didn’t work, perhaps in part because even though Wexford is a big county, there didn’t seem to be room for both himself and hurling manager David Fitzgerald at the one time. Things have settled a little under Shane Roche, and there was a lot to like about their performance against Dublin in the championship last year.
Key man: Brian Malone’s retirement adds extra pressure on Martin O’Connor, who is expected to captain the team and man the full-back berth in 2022. O’Connor is an abrasive, all-action defender who plays on the edge, but often thrives in doing so.
Potential threat: Liam Coleman made a good impression during the O’Byrne Cup and has also nailed down a midfield slot with DCU, though he’s more likely to feature in the half-forward line for Wexford. An athletic, rangy sort, he has the ability to break games open with a quick catch and run, as well as offering a different kickout option.
League prediction: There’s still a lot of rebuilding to be done by Roche and there are real question marks over the quality of forwards in the panel, with Ben Brosnan still their most consistent scorer. Even by Division Four standards, they look a little bit too light up front to win more than four games this Spring. There’s a strong chance they’ll finish third in the group however.
When they play Cavan: Sunday February 6th, 2 p.m., at Kingspan Breffni
How that game might go: If Cavan were a little bit unlucky with the Leitrim fixture, this one couldn’t have played out any better. Wexford are expected to be without Gavin Sheehan and Donal Shanley for the early part of the league, which robs them of a likely corner back and corner-forward. Moreover, Wexford Park is a tough place to go, but Wexford don’t travel well. A two-point win over Leitrim in 2017 is their only league win north of the M7 since 2013. This needs to be a home win.
Sligo
Manager: Tony McEntee (2nd Season)
County profile: It’ll be interesting to see how the locals respond to McEntee’s approach of throwing the net out wide to try and find some footballers wherever he can. Pat Spillane, son of the infamous Kerryman of the same name, has been brought on board, as has Pater Naughton of the Knockmore club in Mayo. These players are certainly capable of making an impression in Division Four, but how the rest of the group reacts to their inclusion is another matter.
Key man: Niall Murphy is genuinely elite, quite possibly the best individual player in this Division. He is invariably double and treble marked and yet still racks up ludicrous tallies. One shudders to think what he might achieve if he was in a county that offered him any kind of scoring support.
Potential threat: Evan Lyons was a new recruit to the Sligo senior panel in 2021 but he looks ready to make a much more meaningful contribution as a tenacious, pacey defender this year.
League prediction: Sligo are undoubtedly one of the hardest units to predict. There is talent in the county, but seeing talented young players like Red Óg Murphy declining the option to come on board doesn’t bode well. They’ve four home games, but will need to take at least three points out of Wexford away, Tipperary away, and Cavan at home. That looks unlikely – but they could trip up one of them.
When they play Cavan: Sunday February 20th, 2 p.m., at Markievicz Park
How that game might go: This is another treacherous fixture which should be a win, but if Sligo’s new recruits fit in well, they could cause problems for the better teams. Cavan need to be very careful here.
Carlow
Manager: Niall Carew (2nd Season)
County profile: The days of Turlough O’Brien and Stephen Poacher moulding a side that was an absolute pain to play against are long gone, and Niall Carew has had a very tough time in the land of scallions. Paul Broderick’s retirement dulls their attacking edge even further, and it’s an open secret now that hurling is seen as the main sport for interest and investment in the county.
Key man: In Broderick’s absence, Darragh Foley will have to lead the forward division. He’s comfortable in any position along the spine, is solid on a dead ball and will take a goal if the chance comes up, but that’s not the same as saying he’s a player who would get his start for a Division One county.
Potential threat: Conor Doyle is not exactly a fresh face on the Carlow senior panel, but he is maturing into a proper senior county man, and has made a decent impression with IT Carlow this Spring. Expect him to play a vital role at midfield, having been in and out of the team up to now.
League prediction: Last year they got drawn into a very handy mini-group and won two games. It’ll be a surprise if they exceed that this time around.
When they play Cavan: Sunday February 27th, 2 p.m., at Kingspan Breffni Park
How that game might go: This has to be, and should be, a stonewall banker two points. Carlow were in bits during the O’Byrne Cup and they simply don’t have the quality coming up through their underage system to bridge the gap. Last year’s minor championship ended in a 6-18 to 1-7 defeat to Kildare, and that’s not atypical of their form and standard at that grade.
Tipperary
Manager: David Power (3rd season)
County profile: If Tipperary could simply go out and pick the best footballers in the county, they’d be well able for Division Two. However hurling will always be the ‘Premier’ choice, but there’s still plenty of quality in the squad. Like Cavan, they are too good for Division Four, but need to prove it.
Key man: Conor Sweeney was the team captain in 2021 and he’s a dependable, two points from play on a bad day and four points on a good day, full forward. He’ll be even more important to the group this year, given that Michael Quinlivan has opted out.
Potential threat: Conor Ryan looks like a very tidy young forward who will operate on one of the two wings, offering energy, creativity, pace and scoring power.
League prediction: Tipp have to go to both Wexford and Cavan, so those will be the games that will determine their fate. The players they’ve lost for a variety of a reasons are significant players, but this is still a team that was able to beat Cork in a championship game a little over a year ago. They should expect to gain promotion.
When they play Cavan: Sunday March 13th, 2 p.m., at Kingspan Breffni Park
How that game might go: This is clearly the toughest game of the campaign, and getting to play it at home is a huge boost. Nonetheless, Tipp have a decent track record against Ulster sides – in the last five years, their record is won three, drawn two, lost three. Decent, considering that includes Derry, Down, Armagh and Donegal.
London
Manager: Michael Maher (3rd Season)
County profile: Lockdown has probably set football back in London immeasurably. The Exiles haven’t played a competitive game since Spring of 2020, so while this is Maher’s third year in charge, he’s effectively had just half a season with his group. There is a good transformation going on in the city with more and more London-born players, but that’s a long and arduous road.
Key man: Liam Gavaghan is a London-born full forward who plays with all the style and flair of a man from Corofin or Killarney. He’s been the captain and key man in the county attack for some time .
Potential threat: Eoin Walsh, centre back for club champions St. Kiernan’s and former underage player with Galway, joined the county panel in 2020 and looked ready to make an impact then. His club form would suggest that his inexperience will be overlooked and he’ll have a central role to play in the county colours as well this year.
League prediction: London host Waterford in Round Two, and they will target that fixture as their best chance of a result. It’s almost impossible to see them taking anything elsewhere.
When they play Cavan: Saturday March 20th, 12 p.m., at McGovern Park, Ruislip.
How that game might go: Everybody wants the London game to be an away game, for both the social aspect and because realistically, any team in contention for promotion should be able to beat London regardless of where the game is played, so it’s better to have the home fixtures against other teams. Cavan will win this by as much as they like.
Waterford
Manager: Ephie Fitzgerald (1st season)
County profile: Ephie Fitzgerald’s recruitment is an interesting statement of intent. He is used to success with club, county, and of course with Cork LGFA. On the face of it, he doesn’t have a lot to work with in Waterford. Moreover, similar to Tipperary, there is absolutely no doubt as to where priorities lie in the South East. Still, he must have seen something to suggest that it’s a role worth taking on.
Key man: Dylan Guiry is usually deployed in the half-forward line but as he matures and adds extra muscle, Waterford may look to use the Nire man in midfield this year, in order to increase his involvement.
Potential threat: In 90% of counties, 18-year-old Tom O’Connell would be allowed to focus on U-20 football, but there’s a strong chance he’ll be parachuted straight into the senior team. He’s a natural finisher with a great eye for the posts and lovely movement, and it’s almost certain that if he stays fit, he’ll be one of the best three inside forwards in the county.
League prediction: They’ve a good track record against Wexford, they’ll hope to beat London away, and both Leitrim and Sligo have to make the very long trip down to Dungarvan. Six points is not implausible.
When they play Cavan: Sunday March 27th, 1 p.m., at Kingspan Breffni Park.
How that game might go: Everyone in Cavan still remembers the horror of the 2006 defeat; a result that was equally devastating to Cavan supporters and to accumulator backers, who saw a 1/50 banker get chinned. Lightning really shouldn’t strike twice, but it’s the same opposition, the same venue, the same round, so expect that game to be referenced more than a few times in the week leading up to this fixture!