No room for complacency for in-form McLoughlin

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After playing a starring role in Cavan’s win over Down, defender Jason McLoughlin finally got a chance to draw breath and compose his thoughts for a post-match interview.

The Shannon Gaels clubman continued his fine run of form from recent weeks. The Down game was in the mix right until the end which, he said, may be great for supporters but not so much for those on the field.

“It was an exciting game to watch, I’m sure,” McLoughlin said. “As a player, you probably don’t want it to be coming down to the last few minutes like that, but look, we’re just delighted to grind out the win and close it out.”

Cavan’s season began poorly but recent weeks have seen a shift in their fortunes.

“I suppose we probably didn’t get off to the start we wanted in the league, but in the last three weeks, I think we’ve pulled together. We’re not there yet; we’ve a good way to go, but it’s just nice to have six points on the board,” said McLoughlin, who was delighted to pick up another home win.

“It was important coming here tonight, in front of the home fans again, to back up last weekend’s and the weekend before’s performance. It’s always nice to perform in Breffni and get a win. We haven’t made a habit out of it in the last couple of years, so it’s nice to get back-to-back home wins again for the fans.”

McLoughlin also spoke about the increasing speed and physical demands of the game under the new rules.

“When you’re out there, I don’t know, it’s quick, but it’s enjoyable. I think we’re just coming to terms with it and adjusting. The conditioning we’ve been doing helps—your body just adapts.

“It’s definitely a quicker game. You have to be tuned in all the time now. There’s no such thing as looking for a breather, it’s up and down, and I think that’s what spectators want to see. As a player, it’s enjoyable too. You’re exposed at times, but that’s sport. You have to be able to play in that, and that’s the art of football—to be able to defend and attack.”

He acknowledged that the new rules have changed defensive strategies.

“You’re getting to see a lot of that on display with the new rules. It’s definitely quick, and it’s going to be even quicker in the summertime. It’ll be interesting to see as the weeks go on and pitches get firmer how it plays out.”

Squad depth is now more crucial than ever. “The bench is huge now. You’ve seen it the last three weeks—our bench was the difference in all three games. Huge contributions. The days of the same 15 players starting and finishing are long gone with this new game.”

One of the pivotal moments came when McLoughlin intercepted a pass that could have set Down’s Pat Havern up for a goal. Reflecting on that key play, he said: “I anticipated he was going to kick it. I kind of thought when he saw me running, he might pull back from the kick and try to make use of the two-on-one. But I’ll be honest, I was happy he kicked it because if he didn’t, they had an easy running goal.

“I was probably lucky enough that I got my hand to it. But I was glad he didn’t run with it because it was two-on-one at that stage. I think it would have been harder to defend then. It was just nice to get the interception, but they still had a bit of work to do.”

“With Gary behind you, you’re always confident he’d pull off a big save anyway. That’s just what you’re there to do—you have to anticipate those moments. There’s probably a lot more anticipation in the game now as a defender. You stand a yard or two in front of your man and try to block out that early ball in, and I think defenders are starting to come to grips with that a bit more now.”

Cavan now have two weeks to prepare for their next challenge, a trip to face old foes, high-flying Roscommon. McLoughlin made it clear that complacency is not an option.

“Absolutely. You can’t just win a couple of games and settle for that. At this level, you have to always look to improve and get better. We have two weeks now, and competition will be rife in training over the next couple of weeks. Lads will be pushing each other on.

“I think we have Roscommon away next. That’s a huge game for supporters. We’ve had lots of battles down through the years. You can’t settle now after those three weeks, you have to be looking to finish out this league campaign strongly and build momentum going into the championship.”

“You see the supporters and the players. You can see more of a bounce in people’s steps when you’re winning. So, you want to keep that momentum going and keep that feeling going.”