CAVAN must get more out of talismanic skipper Gearoid McKiernan if they are to have any chance of beating Tyrone in Sunday’s Ulster Championship semi-final replay, according to former captain Martin Cahill.
The Swanlinbar ace played a crucial role as the Breffnimen secured promotion to Division One, and he brought that form into their Championship opener against Armagh.
However, McKiernan was a peripheral figure a fortnight ago when David Givney’s late, late goal salvaged a replay in the rain in Clones as the Red Hands looked set for an Ulster final spot against Donegal or Monaghan.
Having had little effect when starting in the half-forward line against Tyrone the last day, and in the Division Two decider back in April, Cahill feels a return to midfield could help bring out the best in McKiernan.
“He did very well in the League at half-forward but I think Tyrone might double mark him – they seem to have a plan for him any time they play,” said Cahill.
“Cavan definitely need him to play well for them to have a shout of winning. They should probably try him at midfield, have him coming onto the ball because if he’s on the 40 then his back is to the play the whole time and he can be marked that bit easier.
“He has to get the ball then decide what he wants to do with it, but if he’s coming forward from midfield he can dictate when he wants to go and when he doesn’t want to go.”
Despite scoring two crucial goals in the 3-7 to 0-16 draw the last day, Givney often found himself isolated in the full-forward line, and could be seen calling to his team-mates for support.
It seldom arrived, and the Breffnimen went for periods of 22 minutes in both halves without troubling the scoreboard.
Seanie Johnston, who had such a dynamic impact during the League and against the Orchardmen, was often preoccupied by the forward forays of Tyrone’s raiding half-back Niall Sludden and Cahill feels a change in approach – and possibly personnel – is required on Sunday.
“The defensive system worked fairly well last time but you’d be hoping for a bit more of a link between the full-forward line and the midfield to get something else going, because I don’t think we’ll get the chance to score three goals like that again,” added the Denn man.
“Seanie Johnston needs to be used inside more. He’s a very good finisher but he was too far out the field in the last game – I can’t understand why they’d play him like that.
“He needs to be playing off Givney but he was nowhere near him. If you were playing a club game and you saw Seanie out the field, you’d be happy enough because you know he’s not the same threat when he’s not inside. He plays his best football inside.
“I would like to see Eugene Keating thrown in earlier on,” continued Cahill.
“He could make a difference because he’s big, he’s strong, he’s aggressive, he’ll not shy away from anything.”
Cahill was part of the last Cavan side to take a Tyrone side under Harte’s stewardship to an Ulster Championship semi-final replay back in 2005 – but it’s a day he would prefer to forget rather than relive.
The Breffnimen were blown away by a massive 21 points the second day, Peter Canavan helping himself to 1-7 as three first half goals did the damage for Tyrone, who went on to lift the second of three All-Ireland titles between 2003 and 2008 that September.
Terry Hyland’s team is built on a solid defensive foundation so a repeat result, or anything near it, is highly unlikely. But Harte has a good record when it comes to winning replays, and will be quietly confident of finishing the job on Sunday.
“This Cavan team is set up a lot different than we would’ve been set up - no team is going to get that far away from a team when they’re set up as well as Cavan.
“Those times with us, I would’ve loved to have been set up like that because we would’ve given ourselves a real fighting chance. It was more or less 15 on 15 when we went out.
“We had got within touching distance of beating them, and then you’re just expecting it to be like that again. But too many things didn’t happen for us, and they really wanted it more than us.
“They just blitzed us that second day and you’d be hoping Cavan have their homework done, and I’ve heard they’re confident going in again – but then they’d have to be.
“If McKiernan plays well, and if everyone else can maybe get a little bit more out of their game, there’ll not be much in it.”
