Season starts here as seniors take on Kildare

GAA preview

Cavan senior footballers will get their season properly underway this Saturday when they meet Kildare in Dr Cullen Park, Carlow (throw-in, 5pm) in what already looks like a crunch clash.

Cavan’s record on the opening day has been dismal over the last two decades but they have picked up wins on day one against Leitrim and Westmeath in the last two years.

Saturday’s match will see new Cavan boss Raymond Galligan make his competitive bow as a manager following work-outs against Derry and Down in the Dr McKenna Cup.

Galligan introduced a number of new faces during the two games, including Oisin Kiernan (Denn), Liam Fay (Knockbride), Peter Smith (Crosserlough), Mark Magee (Ramor United), Emmanual Shehu and Jack Tully (both Cavan Gaels), Fergal O’Rourke (Laragh United) and Ryan Brady (Gowna).

The Lacken clubman has also brought back a number of players who were part of the panel under his predecessor Mickey Graham in the past, including Cormac O’Reilly (Mullahoran), James Galligan (Lacken), Caoimhin O’Reilly (Butlersbridge), Cormac Timoney (Ballinagh), Brían O’Connell (Ramor United) and James Smith (Crosserlough), who was a regular starter since 2020 but opted out last year during the Tailteann Cup.

Kildare are something of an unknown quantity in that while they have a high-profile management team and lots of well-known players, their form has been inconsistent in recent seasons.

In 2022, operating in Division 1, Kildare drew with Kerry, beat Dublin, beat Monaghan by nine points and lost to Tyrone by a point but were still relegated. They subsequently beat Louth and Westmeath to reach the Leinster final where they lost to Dublin and subsequently exited at the hands of Mayo.

Last year, their first four matches saw their form oscillate wildly – a one-point loss to Dublin, a 13-point defeat to Cork, a win over Clare and a 14-point reversal at the hands of Derry.

A win over neighbours Meath in round seven saw them avoid the ignominy of slipping into the Tailteann Cup.

In the 2023 championship, the Lilywhites beat Wicklow and exited the Leinster Championship by two points against Dublin. They lost to the Dubs again in the Sam Maguire group stages, beat Roscommon and drew with Sligo before a one-point defeat to Monaghan saw them exit the race.

The county have won three Leinster U20 titles and two All-Irelands since 2018, including last year’s, although there are only expected to be two to three of that side in the mix on Saturday, namely Ryan Burke, Shane Farrell and Harry O’Neill.

Former sharp shooter Niall Kelly is back in the squad, with talented attacker Daniel Flynn also on board.

The make-up of the Cavan side is open to debate at present.

Galligan must field his strongest team given the importance of picking up two points if Cavan are to push for promotion – or, indeed, consolidate and secure their place in the Sam Maguire, which would represent a successful league campaign at this juncture – so he may revert to the tried and trusted, with just a couple of the rookies getting game time.

A number of players, including goalkeepers Liam Brady and Gary O’Rourke and defenders Niall Carolan and Cian Reilly among several others, have been busy with college commitments of late.

Carolan will surely start, with Galligan playing him in a more advanced role in recent games, while it seems likely that the experienced duo of Killian Clarke and Padraig Faulkner will swap the positions they usually started in under Graham, with Clarke at full-back and Faulkner, who captained the team, at midfield.

The injury situation is unknown at present. Raymond Galligan was unavailable for comment this week.

Meanwhile, the Cavan hurlers will begin their National League Division 3A campaign on Saturday, February 3 in Markievicz Park against Sligo. The Cavan senior ladies are at home to Laois this Sunday.