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Cavan to be without David Givney for Derry Qualifier clash

A groin injury has ruled David Givney out of Saturday's all-Ulster Qualifier meeting with Derry <br />Picture by Philip Walsh
A groin injury has ruled David Givney out of Saturday's all-Ulster Qualifier meeting with Derry
Picture by Philip Walsh
A groin injury has ruled David Givney out of Saturday's all-Ulster Qualifier meeting with Derry
Picture by Philip Walsh

CAVAN will be without towering forward David Givney for Saturday’s all-Ulster showdown with Derry - and the Mountnugent man is unlikely to figure again unless the Breffni men reach the latter stages of the All-Ireland series.

A groin injury forced Givney off after just 26 minutes of Cavan’s Ulster semi-final replay hammering at the hands of Tyrone and played no part in last Saturday’s Qualifier win over Carlow. Boss Terry Hyland, who hopes Martin Reilly will return for the Oak Leaf clash after dislocating a finger in the victory over the Barrowsiders, says Givney will be out “for five or six weeks - at least”.

“He would have had it the first day with Tyrone [when he scored two goals] and it just flared up again,” said Hyland.

“He probably only did one full training session in between and we were just thinking his fitness would keep ticking over. It’s a shame because we have kind of changed our system around David being back in the panel, the way we had been setting up. But what can you do?”

Monday’s Qualifiers round 3A draw paired Cavan with Damian Barton’s Derry, who produced an impressive second-half showing to see off Meath at Owenbeg last Saturday. Cavan will have home advantage as they bid for a repeat of their 2013 Qualifier win over Derry at Celtic Park, though the Oak Leafs have won both meetings between the counties this year.

“It’s another Ulster team. I suppose it’s a bit unfortunate that they always seem to meet up with each other, but it is what it is,” continued the Breffni boss.

“They’re going to be strong - one of the best games we had in the Qualifiers was 2013 against Derry, up in Derry, when we won by a point after extra-time. We’re looking forward to it - they beat us in the McKenna Cup, they beat us in the league, so I’m sure they’ll be looking at trying to get a third win and we’ll be trying to get our first win.”

Hyland acknowledged the harrowing 5-18 to 2-17 defeat to the Red Hands was still on his players’ minds in the first-half last Saturday, but felt they proved they had buried some of those demons by the close of play.

He added: “Psychologically, they probably went a bit too defensive against Carlow after what happened with the goals the last day.

“But when we got in at half-time, we had a chat with them and they came out and performed better. We scored by seven, we were a man down for the last 20 minutes, I don’t think there was every any issue of whether we’d win it or not.”

Elsewhere in Monday’s draw, Connacht semi-finalists Sligo will take on one of the surprise packages of this year’s Championship, Clare, in Saturday’s other round 3A clash at Markievicz Park. On the other side of the draw, Fermanagh’s conquerors Mayo will welcome former trainer Cian O’Neill and his Kildare side to Castlebar on Saturday, while Longford will fancy their chances of following up their shock win against Ulster champions Monaghan by taking Cork’s scalp at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.

QUALIFIERS DRAW


Saturday, July 16


All-Ireland SFC Qualifying round 3A: Sligo v Clare (Markievicz Park, 2pm); Cavan v Derry (Kingspan Breffni Park, 3.30pm); All-Ireland SFC Qualifying round 3B: Longford v Cork (Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 3pm); Mayo v Kildare (MacHale Park, 7pm)