Cavan host Fermanagh in final NFL group game

NFL round 7 preview

When the fixtures were released for the National League, both Cavan and Fermanagh camps would likely have circled this afternoon’s fixture in red pen; it seemed likely that promotion could well come down to who wins round seven at Kingspan Breffni Park.

As it turns out, Cavan’s form in the first five matches was outstanding. Wins over their Tailteann Cup conquerors Westmeath, Tipperary, Longford, Offaly and Down saw Mickey Graham’s men propel themselves to the top of the table.

Last time out, against Antrim, Cavan turned in their worst performance of the campaign but Fermanagh did them a favour. Throw-in in the Erne men’s match against Westmeath was slightly later but by the time Cavan were on their bus, an hour or so down the road from Belfast, their fate was sealed. Fermanagh held on to beat a fast-finishing Westmeath by a point and Cavan’s passage to Division 2 was secured.

It was no surprise that Kieran Donnelly’s side came through a close game. They have been involved in several tight contests so far and their mettle cannot be questioned.

They also beat Down and Antrim by the minimum earlier on, although they did drop a one-point reversal in Tullamore against Offaly.

The Faithful are the only side who can catch Fermanagh now. They must beat Down this afternoon and hope Cavan also pick up a win; in that event, they would be ahead of the Brewster Park men on the head-to-head rule.

In attempting to predict how this game might go, there is a lot of guesswork involved. Cavan do not have a particularly high cruising speed and while the Blues can live with the best teams in the country on their day, when they are not tuned in, lower-ranked sides can cause them problems, as we saw in Division 4 last year and again versus an admittedly improved Antrim.

Still, Cavan were understandably sore after losing their unbeaten record in Corrigan Park and a backlash is to be expected. It’s very hard to replicate real desire and Fermanagh’s need is definitely greater but Cavan will not want to lose two in a row before heading to Croke Park for the league final against either Fermanagh or Offaly next weekend.

Much has been made about the depth in the Cavan squad and there is no doubt that it looks as strong or probably stronger than the group who won the Ulster Championship in the winter of 2020. However, the acid test arrives in the coming weeks.

The point was made after the Offaly game that for Cavan, it was Ulster teams all the way for the foreseeable future. Down, Antrim, Fermanagh, possibly Fermanagh again in the league final, leading into an Ulster quarter-final against the winners of Armagh and Antrim.

We will know a lot more about this Cavan side in a few weeks’ time when that series of matches is over. The sense is that they are moving in the right direction and are primed for a good championship, despite the loss last time out which could even be a blessing in disguise. Cavan will have learned a lot from it.

After the game, Graham stated: “Lots of lads got opportunities today now so you can’t be complaining. We’ve a few boys returning now next week. As I said, there are going to be a lot of lads fighting for places. Some lads will be disappointed with their performances today and other lads will see it as an opportunity maybe to try and force their way in. So we’ll see what the reaction is at training on Tuesday night.”

Those comments were interesting and it will be fascinating to see what the line-up is today, both the 15 and the 26. Regardless, Cavan must match Fermanagh’s intensity first and foremost if they are to finish off the group stage with a sixth victory.

The last time Cavan got out of Division 3 (going upwards, that is) was in 2014 when they won all seven group matches but got caught in the final against Roscommon. The hope is that this time, they will win six and the final.

But Fermanagh will come breathing fire this afternoon and a good old-fashioned Ulster derby is anticipated, with a large crowd likely.