Allianz National Football League Division One: Cavan v Kerry (tomorrow, 2pm, Breffni Park)
WHEN last Cavan met Kerry, the wave of optimism that carried the Breffni blues to Croke Park crashed hard against the green and gold wall that has broken many a dream.
Just over three-and-a-half years ago, on a day best remembered for Mayo’s demolition job on Donegal, it was Cavan’s first appearance in an All-Ireland quarter-final.
They emerged from the Hogan Stand tunnel to a wall of sound but it was quickly quietened. At half-time, Kerry led by 0-11 to 0-2 and had long since settled down into second gear.
A better second half was the least they expected of themselves, and it was duly delivered, though it wasn’t enough to ever threaten a reverse on the result.
Rory Dunne performed manfully on the edge of the square that afternoon, limiting Kieran Donaghy and playing a major hand in maintaining a clean sheet through the 70 minutes.
In the time that’s passed since, Cavan have made progress but there haven’t been too many major occasions to help build a buffer against the nervousness of such afternoons.
Hosting Dublin in front of more than 16,000 fans on the opening day of this year’s League was their biggest day since, and Dunne feels that the benefits of playing in the top flight lie in such experiences.
“I think the occasion maybe did overawe us, that’s the way we felt at half-time, and the last 25 minutes we started to play football,” says Dunne, recalling that afternoon in Croke Park.
“That was frustrating that we let the occasion get to us. Hopefully that won’t happen again. The game passes you by so quick. No matter who you’re playing, Dublin, Mayo, Kerry, it’s just 15 footballers on 15.
“The Dublin game was probably similar to that Kerry game, in that we played in parts and maybe let the occasion get to us. We got caught up in the hype of the whole thing.
“It’s gas, when you play these big teams you realise afterwards it’s just 15 players against ourselves that learned the same skills as you growing up as a child.
“There’s no great secret to it. You have to play all teams the same.
“Now that we have a bit of experience over the last 4 or 5 weeks, and we are playing the so-called big teams week in, week out now, hopefully we won’t let that happen again.”
Following their impressive win in Mayo last weekend, Cavan carry a similar optimism into their meeting with Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s side.
Not just in terms of performance, but their hopes of survival. Mattie McGleenan’s side looked condemned seven days ago, but have given themselves a fighting chance of passing either Mayo or Kerry on the home straight.
Padraig Faulkner remains sidelined with the hamstring injury he suffered during the Donegal game, while Paul O’Connor (calf) is also out for what is likely to be an unchanged Cavan side.
Kerry are coming off that draw with Dublin in Tralee that ought to have been a win. Their latest crop of youngsters haven’t looked out of place, with Jack Barry’s midfield dynamism propelling him to the front of the queue for a summer starting place.
Ronan Shanahan, Adrian Spillane, Kevin McCarthy and Jack Savage have been learning on the job too.
The great strength of Kerry teams in the National League has always been to get the points when they need them. Unfortunately for Cavan, they need these two.
