Mixed emotions for Reilly after draw with Monaghan
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Cavan U20 manager Larry Reilly expressed mixed emotions following his side’s draw with Monaghan in the opening round of the Ulster U20 Football Championship. Trailing by six points approaching the break, Cavan cut the gap to five at half-time and mounted a second-half comeback but ultimately had to settle for a share of the spoils in a tense clash.
“I suppose at half-time, we were five or six points down, under pressure,” Reilly said.
“Monaghan came out all guns blazing, very good up front, but I suppose then in the second half, we got a grips of things around the middle the field and, you know, took maybe control of the game. Look, we're happy enough at the same time to get away with a point, but suppose we’re a wee bit disappointed we didn't get two in the end.”
One of the stand-out performers on the night was Reilly’s nephew, Lorcan Reilly, who delivered a clinical display in front of goal.
“Yeah, look, I suppose Lorcan, I don't know what he scored, five, six points, he stepped up,” said the manager, who played in three Ulster U21 finals (including one replay) himself in 1995 and ’96.
“But again, I suppose there were lads doing work off the ball to create that space for Lorcan and stuff like that. But look, that's what you want, you want to get your shooters on the ball and I suppose in the first half, we didn't get them on the ball.
“We created chances in the first half, we bore in on goal, and probably had two shots on goal, maybe a simple hand pass across might have create a (better) goal chance. Look, we’ll learn from that, and we’ll push on. We have Armagh, another tough assignment next Wednesday in Breffni Park.”
Reflecting on the tactical shift that turned the tide after the interval, Reilly pointed to the midfield battle and defensive structure.
“In the first half, the Monaghan goalkeeper was getting real length in his kick-outs and I suppose our half-backs were pushing up probably a wee bit too much, they created maybe five, six scores from flick-ons, where it was fairly open at the back,” he explained.
“In the second half, we sat back a wee bit, but then we started to dominate in the middle of the field. We started to break ball and we got on it. We’re reasonably happy, we have a lot of work done. And I suppose it's good to be leaving with a point, disappointing it’s not two, but happy at the same time.”
However, frustration lingered over how the contest ended. With Cavan in possession and pushing for a late winner, the referee’s final whistle came sooner than expected.
“I suppose, after 64 and a half, 65 minutes, we were after working really hard. And then Monaghan had another wide. We hen got possession of the ball from the kick-out and then unfortunately, the referee blew up the game,” Reilly said.
“I suppose this is the argument about hooters or no hooters. I suppose if there had to be a hooter here tonight, we would have maybe got an opportunity to get a score. But again, the referee deemed that the game was over, so look, we’ll take it on the chin and we move on.”
He added that the issue of timekeeping needs further attention, with different methods of keeping time being used in the same competition, as was seen in the deciding round of the National League last Sunday and in the U20 Championship.
“Absolutely, it has to be looked at. We've U20 players playing senior football, and we had a case last Sunday in Breffni Park with Cavan v Cork where the hooter went and the game materialised after the time.
Tonight, we have a situation where everyone in the in the ground feels that the game now should keep going until the ball goes dead. Again, that didn't happen tonight. For what reason? I’ll not be the one to answer that question.”
Looking ahead, Cavan now turn their focus to a crucial encounter with Armagh in Kingspan Breffni next Wednesday.
“We're going to look at Derry and Armagh, see what we can take out that,” Reilly said.
“Any day you play Armagh, it's always going to be a tough assignment, so we'll not be taking anything for granted.”