It's a new experience for Cavan to be getting praise from neutrals; they didn't deserve any in a lot of recent championships.
Anyway thanks everybody.
The championship is only starting and already there are loads of talking points.

Joe Brolly's assessment of Paul Grimley is grossly unfair and insulting. Paul hasn't got the players that Joe Kernan had
and let's wait and see what he delivers over the next 12 months. Brolly behaves as if he's in court and keeps interrupting the other panelists as well. This is an amateur sport Joe - and players and mentors give a lot of themselves for much less reward than barristers.

Cavan used a blanket defence and fouled cynically all day: hold on a second. Cavan HAD TO defend for their lives because they were cleaned out at midfield all day by two Armagh men who gave us a lesson in high fielding. We had no choice but to defend in numbers because the forwards couldn't get ball from the middle third of the field. We had already lost our two regular mid-fielders - McKiernan & Corr - before the game even started and David Givney was totally off form in the middle yesterday. We don't have a bench like the top teams so we had to make do with what players we had. The big difference was that some of the Cavan forwards had the beating of their men and they took responsibility and kicked good scores instead of going round in circles all day.

As for cynicism well I was at the game and it didn't have any of the nastiness of some Ulster Championship games over the years. It was tough championship football. The Cavan team is very young and inexperienced at this level and to suggest that Armagh are a team than you can bully out of games is ridiculous. And to their credit there was no whingeing from Armagh supporters either during or after the game and that says as much as anything else.

The present Cavan defensive system is much as Joe Brolly says - basic. We had no defence whatever a year ago. I think it'll change over the next year or two because that's not our natural game and supporters don't like it. But it's effective and will do until we get our midfield going again. Jim McGuiness said that he wasn't in the business of entertainment - he wanted to win matches. The football that Donegal played to win their all-Ireland was a big advance on the previous year and they beat all the big teams on the way too. So give us a chance and a bit more time.
Roll on the clash of the giants in Ballybofey.

RoyalBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 198 - 20/05/2013 17:33:39    1387605

shaggylegend
County: Monaghan
Posts: 831

1387598
That point of keating looked over but the whole ball has to be inside the post if a fraction of the ball was over the post its wide.

Shaggy, I've been reading you're posts on this thread, you smack of sour grapes. You have a massive chip on your shoulder because two Monaghan teams came to Cavan this year and got a thorough lessen in Gaelic Football. The reality is we're an up and coming young side with serious talent among the ranks. Yous lads are getting well on, the likes of Freeman, Finlay and Clerkin, this will be thier last hurrah. Proper order is being restored.

Sergeant_Slash (Cavan) - Posts: 2182 - 20/05/2013 19:14:48    1387717

Now now sergeant no one in Ulster likes arrogance, you sound like some of de Dubs there; Fermanagh could rain on your parade.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9840 - 20/05/2013 19:18:39    1387720

Have to say, I'd love to see a Cavan-Monaghan semi final. Its been a few years since they met in the championship, and its always been a great rivalry. By the sounds of it, Monaghan are still pretty sore after the league defeat too, which would add that extra edge to the game

petejoeduff (Donegal) - Posts: 329 - 20/05/2013 19:21:22    1387724

Ulsterman
County: Antrim
Posts: 6077

1387720
Now now sergeant no one in Ulster likes arrogance, you sound like some of de Dubs there; Fermanagh could rain on your parade.

thats rich bringing dublin into this considering your most famous son of ulster joe brolly is as arrogant as they come

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 20/05/2013 19:23:49    1387727

thats rich bringing dublin into this considering your most famous son of ulster joe brolly is as arrogant as they come

__________


Don't bite hill. Smile and move on brother...

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13659 - 20/05/2013 19:27:37    1387734

haha true I probably should wayno

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 20/05/2013 19:31:37    1387742

just a thought. If Fermanagh beat cavan in the next round we (Cavan) are no further on than Armagh. We would both be playing in the first round of the qualifiers and knowing our luck be probably drawn against each other with Armagh coming out on top. Now that would be very deflating and it also shows the inequality of the qualifier system as it stands. Meanwhile down in Munster Waterford get straight in to the second qualifying round because they are deemed to have been beaten in a provincial "semi-final" in their first game out.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5524 - 20/05/2013 19:39:42    1387752

Ulsterman
County: Antrim
Posts: 6077

1387720 Now now sergeant no one in Ulster likes arrogance, you sound like some of de Dubs there; Fermanagh could rain on your parade.


Carlsberg dont do arrogance,
But if they did it would be a DUB , is that what you mean Ulsterman:)

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 20/05/2013 19:39:52    1387753

Slash may i remind you cavan haven't won an ulster title yet. Monaghan won't win an ulster for a good while. Yes Cavan have dominated ulster Under 21 level but its turning it into senior success which is key. Down won all irelands at under 21 and minor level since 1994 = zero ulster titles since. Cavan beat monaghan after extra time in an Under 21 match hardly a footballing lesson, considering cavan had to get a late point to take the game to extra time. Cavan beat a bad Armagh team, Derry,Donegal and Tyrone are a mile ahead of the rest in ulster at the moment. Everybody in ourside of the draw is playing for a day out in clones in july. Dick won't be playing much this summer, Freeman only played a handful of games in 3 years.
Cavan has a great tradition but thats all it is the past, Cavan might have a bright future with these young players coming through, Limerick won 3 all ireland hurling titles in a row yet haven't even won a munster title since. Underage success is great but doesn't always guarantee Senior success. It might well do because cavan are hitting a period when Armagh,Donegal and maybe tyrone will have to rebuild in the near future so if cavan start winning ulsters it might be down to ulster being a poor relation in Gaa like it was when cavan last dominated all them years ago

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1949 - 20/05/2013 19:40:52    1387755

Clarke's goal wouldn't have made much difference even had it been allowed. If Cavan wanted more goals yesterday they were there for the taking the way Armagh were set up. Dunne and Keating were happy enough to pop over points as long as we kept our noses in front. Dunne will never get an easier Championship game but even so 8 points is impressive. Fermanagh will be much sterner test for Cavan, we have struggled to break down blanket defences in the past but the U21s have done so very successfully and we have a great outlet in Keating at full forward.

Inactive x5 (Cavan) - Posts: 1452 - 20/05/2013 20:15:09    1387793

Fermanagh will be a tougher test.. my god never thought id see the day that fermanagh would be tougher than armagh! but its true! Fermanagh could cause an upset with peter the great making great progress over there!

themoderngame1 (Down) - Posts: 39 - 21/05/2013 09:14:21    1387967

Fermanagh are looking good.. Cavan may have shown their tactics of pressurising the full forward in numbers. This worked in some of the early games in the league but once other managers saw what was happening they were able to get the better of Cavan. Armagh must not have had the Cavan games watched in the league. I rate both managers, it's going to be a good battle between them.

Farney (Monaghan) - Posts: 830 - 21/05/2013 11:28:04    1388042

Fermanagh v Cavan is a big derby, and we all know anything can happen when your playing your neighbouring county on a big championship day. Can't see any more than a few points separating the teams at the final whistle. Armagh are a distinctly average side, I said that before Sunday. Fermanagh are a much better managed side and will test Cavan more, although they are limited in talent. They like to try and emulate the Donegal system but don't have to players in place to do so. They were atrocious last year v Down. A big improvement is needed if they are to beat this talented young Cavan outfit.

MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 21/05/2013 15:46:10    1388328

To all the Monaghan men not to mention a few from Down, Tyrone and Antrim, have to agree with ye all - Fermanagh will have to be raging hot favourites.
Just see what is stacked up against Cavan:
1. Fermanagh are at home.
2. Fermanagh are an older more experienced team.
3. Fermanagh beat us in the League.
4. Fermanagh have Peter the Great.
5. Cavan are nearly all lads out of minor and u21.
6. Cavan are without their best man.
7. Cavan beat a very bad Armagh team (or so I am told)
8. Barack Obabama could make a surprise appearance for Fermanagh


So lads get your money on Fermanagh as the odds will be slashed!!

BreffniDub (None) - Posts: 377 - 21/05/2013 18:52:02    1388535

Apologies for the delay on this, I was on my hols, here's my tactical analysis of Cavan's win over Armagh http://action81.com/blog/?p=7262

emmetryan (Dublin) - Posts: 154 - 22/05/2013 21:39:32    1389418