Good luck Peter and the lads on Saturday. It will be very tough but if we repeat our 1st half performances in Ulster we can win. The drop off in intensity during the 2nd halves of games would be a worry. We have to be more clinical when we are on top and try and stop the runners coming through the middle as in Ulster. Killian Clarke will be a key man on Hurley but I think he can up his game. Darragh Sexton and Fergal Flanagan have to block up the middle. I think we will shade midfield with another huge game from Michael Argue.
Hopefully Paul O'Connor and Enda can exploit the spaces up front along with Jack. A repeat from Chris Conroy would also be great.
Cork are big and strong but our bench could be vital tomorrow with guys like the 2 Grahams, Madden and Watson coming on to help the tired legs.
Really looking forward to the game and well done to Paul Fitzpatrick and the Celt on a lovely Colour Poster.
The whole of the county will be behind these young men and I know ye will do us all proud.
Cavan Abu.

BreffniDub (None) - Posts: 377 - 19/04/2013 20:50:46    1370577

Best of luck to the lads tomorrow, Do Cavan proud again.

blueman1903 (Cavan) - Posts: 885 - 19/04/2013 21:59:53    1370607

looking forward to two fascinating games today. i understand theres a huge cavan crowd going which will be very important..
cork will be very tough they are strong with loads of experience. i really cant call it. make sure you get there early.

asdfg (Cavan) - Posts: 320 - 20/04/2013 09:14:43    1370619

Best of luck to the lads and management today, we really need an AI title at this level, and I think this is the team to do it! Keep doing us proud and give it everything lads, never say die! BELIEVE! Breifne Abú!

Sergeant_Slash (Cavan) - Posts: 2182 - 20/04/2013 10:24:03    1370627

i know these games are on TG4. does anyone know if the are available on the tg4 website in the UK.
I cant seem to pick them up... Thanks

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5524 - 20/04/2013 15:06:12    1370688

Mooney should have walked referee chickened out. Big half need by cavan but lost in midfield and struggle when cork run at the cavan defence

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1949 - 20/04/2013 16:28:58    1370719

Uuuugh

Con Cavan (Cavan) - Posts: 894 - 20/04/2013 17:07:33    1370730

Why oh why was Enda Reilly taken off in the first place? He was Cavans best and most dangerous forward, then throwing him on to take the free at the end was putting far too much pressure on him. When others should not of been near the field at the end?

CavanAgain (Cavan) - Posts: 196 - 20/04/2013 17:15:58    1370734

so cavan lost by a point. 15 points to 1:11. looks like the best team won and that cavan only started playing in the last 15 mins when Belatedly Killian Clarke was moved to midfield. lots of players who were playing well were taking off although in fairness the subs who came on played really well. bizzarre decision at the death . cavan awarded a tricky free suited to a left-footer to draw the game. Enda was brought back on to take it. missed it however.. no fault to him he had already scored 3 points in the game. Anyway . well done to Cavan you did us proud. and to get beaten by a point in the ireland-semi is no disgrace. BTW what the hell has happened to HS page its all screwed up.. or is it me

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5524 - 20/04/2013 17:46:35    1370745

why was our best forward, Enda Reilly, taken off? Bizarre decision. I thought POC or Jack Brady should have been taken off instead, felt sorry for Enda at the end, it was far too much pressure to be asked to come on and take a free after sitting on the bench for 15 or 20 minutes.

CavanAgain (Cavan) - Posts: 196 - 20/04/2013 17:48:45    1370746

Ahhh lads, I'm absolutely gutted. We showed tremendous spirit against a team who were much physically stronger and heavy favourites for the game. I felt the crucial period of the game was the start of the second half when Cork rattled off 3 or 4 scores without reply. We were 6 points down and looked dead and buried. I felt we got it tactically wrong, the game plan we deployed will beat a blanket defence which will win Ulster games, but Cork didn't deploy the blanket defence and we should have hit our forwards with an early direct ball. Anytime we did that, O'Connor and Reilly were winning it, but then instead of taking their defenders on, we played it backwards and began probing, and waiting. There was no need for that style of play and we got caught in possession that way a number of times.

But we stuck with it and drew level, well anything like the cheer of the crowd when Moynagh's point sailed over, it was great to be a Cavanman amongst your own, how long is it since we witnessed the likes of that? That's what the u21's have given us over the last 3 years, hope, and something to believe in for the future.An All Ireland title was badly needed, but look, we are where we are and we're competitive at this level at least. Remember this is only the beginning for this team, we're now mixing it with the likes of Cork and Kildare at underage level, and that's something every Cavan person should be immensely proud of. Keep the heads up lads, only the beginning.

Sergeant_Slash (Cavan) - Posts: 2182 - 20/04/2013 19:17:39    1370778

i am a very proud cavan man tonight. fair play to the lads. those scenes on the terrace were incredible something i haven't seen at cavan games in a long time. the buzz was finally back. once again a great cavan crowd. we are brilliant fans. bloody hell we are.
where were the cork and galway fans today though. i think that is disgraceful.. two great teams playing there hearts out for the county and the fans barely show up. disgraceful. whats there problem? two of the biggest countys in the country also. disgraceful.
anyway lets hope the seniors take a leaf out of the under 21s book. stand up toe to toe with this big teams. and when it looks your gone you dig deeper and never give up.roll on may.

asdfg (Cavan) - Posts: 320 - 20/04/2013 20:35:03    1370812

The reason Cork and Galway supporters don't travel is because there not counties starved of success at senior level.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1949 - 20/04/2013 21:04:45    1370823

asdfg
County: Cavan
Posts: 240

The reason the Galway fans don't travel in numbers is beacause the fans don't place much emphasis on underage football in the county. Remember the AI U21 final in 2011? I think I saw one Galway flag in a sea of blue. They have an ok senior team to follow,we don't, thats the difference. How many Cavan fans travelled to Aughrim or Sligo in the league? Not many. Additionally Galway are now more of a hurling county than a football one.

Cork, also a predominantly hurling county, have a competitive senior team, same reason applies, underage success is important, but senior success is more lucrative and the most important of all.

Sergeant_Slash (Cavan) - Posts: 2182 - 20/04/2013 21:46:36    1370845

Lads I am proud and gutted at the same time. However, after a nights sleep and reflection I think we can be very proud of the team. Cork were physically bigger than us with a raft of players who played in the All Ireland Minor Final three years ago. We were cleaned out in the middle of the field and still managed to run them to a single point. Clarke and McLoughlin were immense in the full back line. Paul O'Connor and Enda Reilly showed well for the ball in the full forward line and were always dangerous and drew many frees during the hour. As for our substitutions, well they were fantastic and made a huge difference.

Small things make the difference in big games like yesterday. Turloch Mooney gave away a free in the first half when we were coming out with the ball. He could have got a second yellow, however the first yellow was a bit of a joke, and it impacted upon his play thereafter. Killian Clarke gave away a forty five when a free which was going wide flicked his knee. Against the wind their full back pointed. At the very end the last free to give Cork the lead was very soft, the goalkeeper just lost his composure. It's a learning process and the more big games you play in the less mistakes you start to make.

A lot of positives to be taken out of yesterday. The task now is to keep the flow of under age success going and to turn it into senior success.

Thanks to all involved I was proud to be a blue yesterday!

kildare blue (Cavan) - Posts: 578 - 21/04/2013 10:26:20    1370877

Hard Luck, it would have been fantastic to win it but look, there is real talent in Cavan and the fundamental point is you's have as good as youth coming up in the country as anyone else, so the future is DEFINATELY BRIGHT for your county. I can only see us maybe lasting at the top level for another 2/3 years and it looks like yous will come to the fore again in Ulster football.

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 21/04/2013 11:07:44    1370884

cant say im pleased with the result but whats done is done.. i was disgusted with the brand of football we played yesterday, extremely negative. In the first half with a strong wind why were so many players afraid to shoot? it looked like only certain players were aloud to....we moved the ball well to the 13 and then stopped and turned back and on many occasions dispossessed because this negativity. mcloughin was super as was clarke.. i was disappointed with brady and flanagan.. IMO management got it wrong yesterday by playing a sweeper who was non existent because cork ran the ball. BUT futures bright!!!

humptydumpty1 (Cavan) - Posts: 92 - 21/04/2013 11:19:37    1370888

I agree with the sweeper we should have gone man for man.

RHF (Cavan) - Posts: 891 - 21/04/2013 11:47:55    1370901

Humpty Dumpty - you were disgusted? Have you seen us play this year before yesterday as that's the way we won the ulster final. Were you disgusted that day too. Always has to be someone to blame with you lads. Could it not just be that two excellent young teams met one much physically stronger than the other and they were so well matched that only a point separated them. Why does there always have to be someone to blame?

fredflint (Cavan) - Posts: 1485 - 21/04/2013 12:08:14    1370911

Hard luck to the U21s yesterday , nearly done it! I'm still sick to the stomach today , can only imagine how the team are feeling . It was extra cruel on a couple of individuals the way the defeat panned out and I'm sure they'll be kicking themselves for a while but they should keep their heads held high . All involved with the team can be proud of their efforts this year . It is a learning curve for all involved and we shouldn't be too critical of mistakes made . I would agree though that the management got some things wrong . Would have been great to get to the final again but c'est la vie . Again hard luck to all involved and thanks for another great year .

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 21/04/2013 12:25:40    1370922