Just 13 left standing for Cavan in Ulster
Only 13 players remain from the Cavan panel which entered the Ulster SFC 12 months ago after joint managers Terry Hyland and Val Andrews named their 32-man championship panel this week. In all, ten of the Under 21 panel have been named in the new-look squad, namely Gearoid McKiernan, Alan O'Mara, Niall Murray, Michael Brady, Niall McDermott, Fergal Flanagan, Oisin Minagh, Damien Barkey, Barry Reilly and Niall McKiernan. Gone from last year's panel are Martin Reilly, Nicholas Walsh, Fintan Reilly (who was on the panel and is currently recovering from injury) and Alan Clarke among other well-known players. Many of the new faces introduced by Tommy Carr last season have failed to follow up this year for a variety of reasons. Mark Johnston, Eoin Smith, Raymond Galligan, Eoin McGuigan, Declan McKiernan, Philip Brady, Alan Clarke and Eoin McPhilips, who were all introduced to the panel by Tommy Carr for the first time in 2010, will not feature in 2011. Three players who started championship matches last season, namely Alan Clarke, Ciaran Galligan and Philip Brady, are also not included. Some players, it must be noted, opted out themselves at various stages of this season. Twenty-three of the panel are from senior clubs, with eight from intermediate clubs and just one - Mountnugent's David Givney - chosen from the junior ranks. Interestingly, Barry Reilly is the only player from county champions Kingscourt Stars to make the championship cut, while just three - Micheál Lyng, Niall Murray and team captain Sean Johnston - from senior league champions and former championship kingpins Cavan Gaels are included. Johnston, former All Star nominee James Reilly and Mark McKeever, who all made their championship debuts in 2003 under Mattie Kerrigan, are the longest-serving players on the panel, which includes 19 new faces. The squad in full is: Goalkeepers:James Reilly (Drung), Alan O'Mara (Bailieborough) Backs: Damien O'Reilly (Belturbet), Dane O'Dowd (Drumlane), Dermot Sheridan (Mullahoran), Mark McKeever (Gowna), Martin Cahill (Denn), Stephen Jordan (Lavey), Tomás Corr (Denn), John McCutcheon (Cootehill Celtic), Patrick Carroll (Ballinagh), James McEnroe (Ramor United), Oisin Minagh (Redhills), Fergal Flanagan (Butlersbridge), Damien Barkey (Ramor United), Michael Brady (Mullahoran) Midfielders: Niall McKiernan (Lacken), Gearoid McKiernan (Swanlinbar), David Givney (Mountnugent), Ray Cullivan (Ballyhaise) Forwards: Brendan Fitzpatrick (Belturbet), Cian Mackey (Castlerahan), Keith Fannin (Drumgoon), Michael Brennan (Drumalee), Ronan Flanagan (Castlerahan), Gareth Smith (Eoghan Ruadh/Oliver Plunketts, Dublin), Seanie Johnston (Cavan Gaels), Eugene Keating (Cuchulainns), Micheál Lyng (Cavan Gaels), Niall Murray (Cavan Gaels), Niall McDermott (Ballinagh), Barry Reilly (Kingscourt Stars)