Cavan are close to getting wins but have to learn to finish the job

Tactics Board

Cavan's record in tight games has been good in recent years but squandering leads in the opening two rounds could prove very damaging in this campaign, writes Damien Donohoe.

So far in 2026, Cavan have shown the ability to learn from issues exposed in games and improve on them the next day out. Against Monaghan and Fermanagh in the McKenna Cup, the conversion rate in front of goal was poor but it was improved in the Cork and Meath games.

The kick-out area was very good against Monaghan, dipped against Fermanagh but was improved again for long spells of the Cork and Meath games. With that in mind, Cavan must now address a pressing issue, which is their recent inability to finish out games when they put themselves into contention for the win.

While it’s early, the nature of the matches so far have already prompted that conversation. One and two-point league defeats to Cork and Meath, following tight losses to Monaghan and Fermanagh in the Dr McKenna Cup, can easily be dismissed in isolation as part of a bedding-in period - new manager Dermot McCabe is a fresh voice and is introducing new systems; the team is still finding its feet.

Taken together, however, those results invite a deeper look - particularly when viewed alongside what unfolded last year elsewhere under the same management as pointed out some leading national journalists of late, notably Irish Examiner GAA correspondent, John Fogarty.

McCabe was in charge of Westmeath in 2025 in what turned out to be a campaign defined by narrow margins. Across seven league games, as Fogarty wrote, Westmeath lost four by three points or fewer, drew one, and were within touching distance late on regularly.

Importantly, this was not a team being over-run; it takes a lot of things going well to get into a position where winning the game is possible with the finish line in sight. Westmeath were fit, organised and capable of matching opponents physically and tactically. They scored freely and repeatedly put themselves in positions where results were within reach. That alone points to a side that was doing a lot right.

The issue was not getting into contention, it was what happened once they were there.

The most extreme example came in Mullingar against Cavan. Westmeath led by 14 points in the first half and 12 points at half-time, having used the wind advantage perfectly. But Westmeath lost the second half by 1-17 to 0-4 and further narrow defeats followed, including in the Leinster Championship and Tailteann Cup, where they twice fell by a point to Division 4 opposition.

None of this suggests Westmeath were poorly coached. On the contrary, they were competitive, organised, and regularly in position to win. But inter-county football is decided in the margins, and it is in those margins that outcomes - rather than performances - are ultimately judged.

It is here that the analysis naturally turns to Cavan, because similar game states have already emerged in 2026. This year, Cavan’s defeats to Monaghan and Fermanagh in the Dr McKenna Cup followed a familiar script: competitive contests, tight late stages, decisive scoring runs conceded, and no clear way of regaining control once momentum shifted.

Yes, it was the pre-season competition but when it’s part of a wider trend, it’s worth noting.

When the league began, the sense of déjà vu deepened. Against Cork, Cavan were in the driving seat with 10 minutes remaining before late scores swung the result. Against Meath, the same again - leading late on, but unable to manage the closing exchanges.

McCabe’s track record is not one of failure. Far from it. As Gowna manager, he brought them to a county final replay, delivered two Senior Championship titles and followed that with a semi-final appearance in his third year, achievements that speak to a high standard of coaching, preparation and team development.

Likewise, the fact that Westmeath were - and Cavan have been - repeatedly in contention late in games is in itself evidence that a lot is being done right. Teams do not lead, compete, or stay alive in Division 2 games without strong structures, conditioning and tactical planning.

The challenge, therefore, is not to reinvent the wheel but rather to convert getting into contention into results.

While there are a handful of newcomers to the starting side, the majority of the current Cavan team have been involved for some years now and have shown that they can win these close games in the recent past. In the last two seasons they have been involved in nine one-score games. They have won five of them, drawn one and only lost three.

No one is suggesting Cavan are in crisis. They are competitive and clearly capable of matching Division 2 opposition for long spells but to avoid the fate which befell Westmeath, relegation, Cavan simply must start to win these tight games.

Demotion to Division 3 would be a major setback – players have stated that successive relegations from 2019-21 stalled progress hugely - and by identifying the reasons for the late fade-outs now, they can be addressed and corrected, as has been done with other issues, to prevent it from becoming detrimental.

Cavan now travel to Omagh, a venue where their head-to-head record is among the most challenging they face. Malachy O’Rourke’s side are not firing on all cylinders and a win for Cavan would be a massive statement that things are moving in the right direction. While a defeat will not define the season for any Cavan fan, a win would be a major boost.

If we try to take a line of form through the opening two games of the league and even the McKenna Cup, we can find evidence to say Cavan have every chance against Tyrone. Cavan only lost to a Monaghan side by three points that went on to beat Tyrone in the McKenna Cup semi-final, for example, although pre-season form always comes with an asterisk beside it.

Meath beat Derry by three points in round one of the league. In round two they only beat Cavan by two points while Derry beat Tyrone by three. While the lines of form can’t be relied on as a prediction of the outcome, they can be used to make the argument that Cavan have shown enough to say they should be in the contest when the finish line is in sight.

But that's only the first part of the job and at this level, the margins are unforgiving. Winning 95 metres of a 100-metre sprint does not win the race. You must cross the line first. Cavan must now find a way to finish the final five metres.

Cavan seniors’ last win on Tyrone soil came 29 years ago. If they can end that hoodoo this weekend, the narrow defeats of late will be forgotten about.

In sport, winning glosses over everything and Cavan have a big opportunity to do just that on Sunday.