Cavan seek to make it five from five

Preview

Cavan seniors host Tipperary today knowing that a win will most likely secure a quick return back to Division 3.

The counties have something of a shared history of late in that both tore up the script to win long-awaited provincial titles on the same day, November 22, 2020, before poor performances in the following year’s league saw both relegated to Division 4.

The principal difference is that while Cavan have retained practically all of their squad from 2020, Tipperary have lost a few, notably 2016 All-Star forward Michael Quinlivan, along with Pauric Looram and Emmett Moloney as well as experienced campaigner Brian Fox, who has retired. Alan Campbell, Philip Austin and Liam Casey are not on board either so after a glorious decade, it’s fair to day that the Premier county are not as strong as they were.

The last 12 years have been brilliant for Tipperary football, with a minor All-Ireland, U21 All-Ireland final appearance, a Munster title secured at senior level and two All-Ireland SFC semi-finals reached and there is a sense that maybe they are in transition again.

It’s always hard to keep that sort of success going and it is doubly difficult when the hurlers are so strong. However, Tipp have held on to quite a bit of experience and after a disappointing opening two rounds, they have managed to get their campaign back on track of late.

David Power’s men got off to a poor start to this campaign, drawing with Waterford and then losing at home to Leitrim but they have bounced back well, defeating Sligo and then, last weekend, seeing off Wexford on a freakish 4-4 to 0-15 scoreline, one of those goals coming from captain Conor Sweeney who remains a huge threat.

Cavan go into this match as strong favourites with the bookmakers but have rarely found the going easy against Tipperary and have had a patchy record against the Premier county in modern times. Twice in the last 13 years, the Munster men have won at Kingspan Breffni, winning 0-13 to 0-11 in a Division 3 league match in February, 2009 and by three points, 2-15 to 0-18, in a qualifier at the same venue in 2017, having come from six down in the latter match.

Cavan did, however, avenge that loss when a late Conor Madden point saw them beat Tipp and secure promotion back to Division 1 in a round seven league game in 2018 (0-17 to 2-10).

Breffni manager Mickey Graham will expect to have a stronger panel available this weekend, with several players understood to have been left off the squad last week and likely to return to contention.

Long-term injury concerns Conor Brady and Ciaran Brady are close to a return, although today will probably come too soon, while Martin Reilly could feature and his Killygarry clubmate Conor Smith, who went off against Wexford, may return before the end of the league.

A Cavan victory would effectively ensure promotion, barring a highly improbable run of results elsewhere. However, a loss would open things up again for the other contenders, including Tipperary who would be right in contention on seven points.

Cavan will travel to face London on March 20 in Ruislip, with a huge Cavan cohort expected to travel given that the match falls on St Patrick’s weekend. The final round then is against Waterford in Kingspan Breffni the following week.

While Cavan supporters, notoriously demanding, may feel the team is playing in fits and starts, they are one of only three sides in the country with a 100pc record and have the best defensive and attacking record in the division as we write. Graham will be satisfied with where they are at and a win today would secure a trip to Croker and some breathing space.

However, nothing will come easy against the Munster men.

The Cavan team which lined out against Tipperary in their last meeting, the 2018 National League Division 2 clash, was: Ray Galligan; Jason McLoughlin, Padraig Faulkner, Enda Flanagan; Martin Reilly, Ciaran Brady, Conor Moynagh; Gearoid McKiernan, Killian Clarke; Dara McVeety, Bryan Magee, Oisin Kiernan; Caoimhin O’Reilly, Cian Mackey, Conor Bradley

Subs: Ado Cole for O’Reilly (45), Sean Johnston for Flanagan (57), Stephen Murray for Moynagh (58), Niall Clerkin for Bradley (67), Conor Madden for Magee (69),