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Cavan 'keeper Galligan expecting attacking onslaught from Tyrone

Cavan's Allstar goalkeeper Raymond Galligan says they are determined to put a poor League performance behind them as they prepare to put their Ulster title on the line against Tyrone on Saturday in Omagh Picture: Seamus Loughran
Cavan's Allstar goalkeeper Raymond Galligan says they are determined to put a poor League performance behind them as they prepare to put their Ulster title on the line against Tyrone on Saturday in Omagh Picture: Seamus Loughran Cavan's Allstar goalkeeper Raymond Galligan says they are determined to put a poor League performance behind them as they prepare to put their Ulster title on the line against Tyrone on Saturday in Omagh Picture: Seamus Loughran

TYRONE will look to hit the provincial champions with all their attacking might and break the fragile resilience of a team running low on confidence, according to Cavan captain Raymond Galligan.

Tomorrow’s Ulster Championship opener at Healy Park could be the first real test of Red Hand firepower and its capacity to live with the high-scoring giants of the game further down the line.

“I think a lot of teams are now evolving from playing defensive to that more attacking brand, and I think definitely teams are going to look to put up big scores, because if you want to be competing with the Dubs and the Kerrys of this world, you’re going to have to be able to score an average 20 points a game," said the Allstar goalkeeper.

“So I think it really was inevitable that teams really went more attacking, and the likes of Tyrone are showing that it can be done.

“I have seen a few of their games in the League, and definitely they are playing a more free-flowing type of football, where they are putting up big scores.

“The last day (against Kerry) was unfortunate, the way it panned out, but they had some fantastic games against the likes of Monaghan and Armagh.”

Whatever damage Tyrone are able to inflict on injury-hit Breffni resistance, questions remain over their own defence following a six-goal mauling by Kerry in their last game.

However, Galligan doesn’t see any obvious weaknesses that his attack can exploit, despite the dramatic collapse in the League semi-final at Fitzgerald Stadium.

“I think it will be a completely different game. I know they conceded a heavy defeat, but that’s very un-Tyrone-like, so I can’t see many opportunities that we can exploit, because they will definitely tighten up their defence.

“To be fair, Kerry, when they’re on form, they will punish you, and they showed that in the League.”

Cavan also go into the game with horror-filled memories of their concluding Allianz Football League tie, a relegation play-off which they lost to Wicklow, plunging into Division Four.

But it’s all about the Championship now, and they’ll carry the fighting spirit of 2020 with them to Omagh.

Sensational wins over Monaghan, Down and Donegal contrived a compelling story of steel and skill as they conquered Ulster for the first time in 23 years.

Heroic acts from Cavan’s goalkeeper were woven through those unforgettable encounters, courage rewarded generously as the Breffni braves held their nerve amid sudden death drama.

“We didn’t want it (the League) to end the way it did, but I suppose management and players would always have looked at Championship as being the key game.

“The first day out was probably the most disappointing, because if we had got a draw, or some sort of a result that day, it probably would have been a different year with regards to the League.

“You can only take it on what we experienced last year, and obviously we had a fantastic season in the Championship.

“The players do like knock-out, it’s all on the day, it gives us the opportunity that anything is possible on any given day. It’s a good format.”

And Galligan believes that if they can blank-out the harrowing reflections on this year’s League, then they are capable of taking out another big gun.

“We’ll have to park what has happened in the League, and go back to that next winter.

“It was disappointing, but we had to draw the line and go back and look towards Tyrone. It’s a huge game and it’s a very difficult challenge.

“There was a lot of hurt, so it took a few says to do a lot of soul-searching. Every player had to look at themselves, and just try to see where we went wrong.

“But we picked the confidence back up and we had a good reaction to what was a difficult day. Things are definitely more positive.

“We have to take what was last year as a driving force now going into the Championship, and really instil the belief that we have done it before, and it will give us great heart going in to play Tyrone.

“We know the challenge that lies ahead of us. It probably doesn’t get any more difficult than going to Healy Park, but we’ll definitely be able to reflect on the great victories we had last year, and it will instil the belief that we do have a great chance when we go to Healy Park.”