O’Mara defends Cavan’s ‘most horrible’ style

Alan O’Mara has insisted Cavan will ignore jibes about their style and keep playing to their strengths as they aim to turn success at U21 level into trophies on the senior stage.

Joe Brolly last month accused Cavan of playing “the most horrible, defensive football the game has ever seen”, even going as far as warning people not to go and see them play.

Keeper O’Mara was part of a Cavan side that scored 1-22 in knocking Brolly’s Derry out of the championship in 2013 and says neither he nor his team-mates are bothered about the negative comments.

“Pundits and journalists are entitled to their opinions. They can express whatever they want. We are just a group of young lads who are trying to improve Cavan football,” he said at the launch of ‘Play in my Boots’ Mental Health Pack.

“There has been a lot made of how we play and how we like to go about our business. But we know what our strengths are. Obviously it can be more difficult in Croke Park.

“We would have found last year there is more ground to cover when you are breaking forward but we are working to address those things. We are not going to be changing how we’re playing just because it’s in Croke Park.”

That system served them well in Division 3 with seven wins from seven and an average of just 10 points conceded per game setting them up for a shot at winning a title O’Mara feels is vital to their development.

“What we have been trying to do over the last few years in Cavan is create a winning mentality. It has worked at U21 level [four Ulster titles since 2011] and it is starting to kick in at senior.

“We got promoted after five games but we took the last two games as seriously as we took the first five. That is what we want to continue doing.

O’Mara also believes there is way more pressure on modern-day keepers, with Dublin raising the bar and forcing others to try to discover new methods.

“I work with [Sligo Rovers keeper] Gary Rogers and he does a lot of work with us just trying to refine our technique. Obviously, you’re not necessarily trying to kick 70-yard kick-outs all the time so it’s working on accuracy and trying to fine tune that technique.”

It could be that you’re just trying to snap it out and most of the top keepers are doing that now.”