Down to go head to head against Cavan at Breffni

Down to go head to head against Cavan at Breffni

25 May 2022

DOWN senior footballers begin their inaugural Tailteann Cup campaign against Cavan this Saturday at Kingspan Breffni Park.

The action will throw-in at 2pm with James McCartan’s men needing a much-desired win to help turn their year around.

The competition has been split into two sections – northern and southern – with teams from Division 3 and 4 featuring before New York enter at the quarter-final stage.

Despite initial worries over the knockout competition, the opening southern section preliminary round between Wexford and Offaly treated spectators to a high-scoring affair which was highly entertaining for the neutral.

Offaly edged out Wexford on away soil by a single point, 2-13 to 3-11, and it is this sort of dogged performance which Down boss McCartan will be hoping his struggling side can produce against their Ulster rivals.

At the beginning of the year fans would understandably give Down the edge in this contest, considering the Mourne outfit were plying their trade in Division 2 and were given a boost in the form of returning manager McCartan, who had previously led his county to an All-Ireland final in 2010 during his first stint in charge.

However, it hasn’t been the fairytale return for ‘Wee James’ after his side failed to win a league game, losing all of their games bar one – a draw against Meath in Navan.

Contrastingly, Cavan earned promotion to Division Four and are seemingly on the rise under Mickey Graham. This was further supported by their Ulster Senior Football Championship campaign, in which they played neat football before exiting to Donegal in the semi-final.

Down failed to get past Monaghan at the first hurdle which ensured their entry into this weekend’s competition.

Down’s woes were further added too when five players recently decided to leave their panel, including Downpatrick RGU club-mates Gerdie Collins and Caolan Mooney, Kilcoo All-Ireland winner Ryan McEvoy, former Mourne U-20s goalkeeper Charlie Smyth and danger man Corey Quinn.

Whilst the reason for their exits have not been officially commented on, there can no doubt this would do little to encourage McCartan’s men.

Nevertheless, Down have had a well documented history of overcoming adversity when often counted out and perhaps this will give the remaining players on the panel the required push to pull something special out of the bag this Saturday.

Down and Clonduff marksman, Barry O’Hagan, is well aware of the recent turmoil his county has endured but remains confident they can rubber stamp their mark on the Tailteann Cup.

“Boys were happy, it’s not as if we wanted any other team,” he said.

“Look, at the end of the day we are where we currently are at this moment in time with Down.

“If we put our heads together for this cup and try to develop our team, it can be beneficial for us in the long run and that’s what our stand is now and hopefully it will go that way.”

The other fixtures taking place this weekend in the northern section include Leitrim v Antrim (2pm), Longford v Fermanagh (5.30pm) and Sligo v London (6pm).