Cavan seek to end 29-year wait for win over Tyrone
Preview
After two narrow losses, it doesn’t get any easier for Cavan senior footballers as they travel to Healy Park, Omagh this Sunday (3.45pm) to take on the hosts who, unusually for Tyrone, are also without a win after two matches.
The Red Hands came into the campaign as favourites to bounce straight back up to Division 1, having become the first team ever to be relegated on seven points last year.
The fixture could not be more daunting from a Cavan perspective. The county last defeated Tyrone in the National League in 1997 in Dungannon; the Breffnimen’s most recent championship win over their northern foes was in 1983.
Added to this, Tyrone defeated Cavan three times in the championship in the last two years and by ever-widening margins – a point after extra time, seven points and, in the All-Ireland group stage last June, by 0-31 to 0-18.
Tyrone reached the All-Ireland semi-final last year, defeating eventual All-Ireland finalists Donegal in Ballybofey along the way, and having picked up three U20 All-Irelands in four years, they have been widely ear-marked as a side who will contend for Sam Maguire in the near future.
However, their sticky form in the early rounds of the National League offers a chink of hope for Cavan. A draw with Kildare was followed by a loss to neighbours Derry, contributing to the county’s worst start to the season since 2022, although that came in Division 1.
Cavan played very well at times in their losses to Cork and Meath but couldn’t seal the deal, squandering a seven-point lead against Cork and a one-point advantage versus the Royals two weeks ago.
On the injury front, while key defender Brían O’Connell was listed in the match-day panel last time out, he may not be ready to feature just yet. Paddy Lynch is expected to be fit although Cormac O’Reilly, who was helped off with an ankle injury against Meath, looks set to miss out.
Cavan wins over Tyrone in any grade of football have been rare – the minors’ victory in 2024, avenging an earlier defeat that season, was the first in championship football in 10 years – and if Dermot McCabe’s men could plunder two league points in Healy Park, it would represent a huge result and an incalculable confidence boost ahead of a run of three matches (Kildare and Louth at home and relegation favourites Offaly away) which the management would have targeted from the outset, given Cavan have beaten all three in their most recent meetings.
READ: Analysis - Cavan are close but must learn to close out matches
Tyrone’s notoriously-demanding supporters and officials will expect a routine win for the home side and anything else would represent something of a crisis. Cavan, on the other hand, travel north as 9/2 underdogs but with plenty of positives to build on from their opening two matches.
Unusually, the Cavan players – even those who had played a full match – could be seen undertaking a running session after the final whistle in the Meath match, which would indicate that their ‘load’ has been high. Cavan will hope that their hard work shows after enjoying a week’s break from competitive action.
If the likes of Dara McVeety, Gerry Smith, Gearoid McKiernan, Oisin Brady et al can continue in their rich vein of form, Cavan should give Tyrone plenty to think about, especially given Malachy O’Rourke has yet to find a settled rearguard, with a number of nominal attackers now operating at the back.
However, defensively, Cavan will have to be much tighter. In the bottom three divisions, only Offaly and Clare conceded more in the opening two rounds.
That continues a trend from last year when Cavan conceded 1-24, 3-26, 0-31 and 3-20 in four of their five championship ties. If they can, to some degree, curtail Tyrone, who boast the likes of Eoin McElholm, Darragh Canavan and new star Ethan Jordan in attack, Cavan will be well in the mix – but as both historical and recent form shows, that is easier said than done.