Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final: Cavan v Monaghan (Sunday, Kingspan Breffni Park, 2pm)
IF forwards could be engineered or manufactured there is little doubt that Cavan would currently command a much higher position in the game.
The uncomfortable truth for the Breffni County is that forwards are born, not made. If Cavan had one stellar, natural scoring forward then tomorrow’s game would have a very different dynamic.
Unfortunately for Cavan, the Allstar forward in this contest is playing for Monaghan. If Cavan’s starting 15 including a forward of the same calibre as Conor McManus, that added dimension in their attack would probably tip the scales in favour of the home county.
The absence of marquee forwards has been a longstanding issue for Cavan. The Ulster U21 Champions in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 - none of those provincial titles were converted into an All-Ireland crown. A quality predator might have allowed Cavan to make the extra step.
Still, it’s churlish to place too much focus on Cavan’s one major weakness. It wasn’t so long ago that the county’s footballing structures were a total mess. Well beaten in the 2009 Ulster semi-final by Antrim, the Cavan seniors were in disarray. The county minor and U21s sides were perennial losers.
Cavan deserve huge credit for the astonishing progress that has occurred during the past five years. In 2011, the county bridged a 37-year gap when the minors lifted a first provincial title since 1974. The success of the U21s has been well documented. Meanwhile, this year the history books continued to be updated as St Patrick’s Cavan lifted the MacRory Cup for the first time since 1972.
It’s worth noting that Cavan have earned a certain amount of reward for the success they have achieved at underage level. For starters, the senior team is now taken seriously. While Monaghan are the favourites for the Ulster Championship, it wouldn’t come as a huge surprise if Cavan beat them tomorrow. The general consensus is that a fit, focused and well-drilled Cavan team will give Monaghan their fill of it. It is assumed that the winners of this contest will reach the provincial final.
However, the absence of a diamond marksman means there is a very definite ceiling to what Cavan can achieve.
To Terry Hyland’s credit, he has tried to address his team’s shortcomings in attack. Liam McHale has been recruited as a forwards’ coach. McHale is a clever tactician. He understands the game. In an interview with The Irish News in February, McHale spoke convincingly about the challenges facing the modern forward line. The former Mayo star outlined his preference for a gameplan which is very similar to how the Tyrone U21s play. McHale likes to have target man in the full forward line. Rather than getting 15 men behind the ball, he believes the deployment of at least one outlet player provides the possibility of razor-sharp counter-attacks. Most of all, McHale is a staunch advocate for moving the ball at speed.
While McHale’s coaching philosophy makes a lot of sense, Cavan are struggling to break out of their old habits. One statistic speaks volumes. Across all four divisions in the National League, Cavan had the sixth best defensive record, and the sixth worst scoring record. They only managed one goal.
Obviously, McHale was never going to achieve overnight success. Of course, there is a possibility that Cavan will be a different proposition tomorrow, but that’s extremely unlikely.
Nevertheless, it should still be an extremely tight game. The Ulster semi-final in 2013 is the obvious reference point. The same conditions applied two years ago. Yet, while Monaghan had the superior forwards they were lucky to secure a one-point victory.
The game hinged on two crucial incidents, both of which involved the goalkeepers. A mistake from a Cavan kick-out gifted Monaghan the only goal of the game. In the dying seconds, Monaghan’s Rory Beggan was extremely fortunate that he wasn’t penalised for over-carrying.
The outcome of tomorrow’s encounter can be predicted by identifying the team which has made the most progress since 2013.
Monaghan look like the obvious answer. Since that match in Clones, Malachy O’Rourke’s men have lifted the Anglo-Celt Cup. They’ve also been promoted and retained their status in Division One.
Looking at the Cavan team which lost to Monaghan in 2013, there are three players from that line-up who will not be featuring in Kingspan Breffni Park. Killian Clarke (injured), David Givney and Eugene Keating all played well in that semi-final. Givney (0-2) and Keating (0-1) registered a total of 0-3.
For all their success at U21 level, Cavan still aren’t in a position where they can find readymade replacements for players like Clarke and Givney.
In contrast, Malachy O’Rourke has retained the services of his best players. His substitutes’ bench includes experienced campaigners like Colin Walshe, Owen Lennon and Stephen Gallogly. Most importantly of all, in Conor McManus, Monaghan have a natural born scoring forward.
Cavan might be hosting the game, but O’Rourke is travelling to Breffni with all the aces.
