'It’s an Ulster final, it’s on the day': Comeback kings Cavan looking for one more big effort
A general view ahead from the goalmouth ahead of the Ulster SFC meeting of Cavan and Antrim. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
In the build-up to the 1983 Ulster final, Cavan manager Gabriel Kelly was asked about the previous year’s first-round defeat against Antrim in Breffni Park.
Kelly, regarded as one of the best corner-backs in the history of the game, had shared dressing-rooms with All-Ireland winners and was accustomed to seeing his county rub shoulders with the best.
Losing at home to Antrim, who would fail to win another championship match for the rest of the century, hurt deeply.
“It was,” said the great Kelly, “the worst day of my life.”
Twelve months on, all had changed utterly. Cavan defeated Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh to reach the Ulster final, where they faced Brian McEniff’s Donegal in what was reckoned to be a 50-50 game.
The Breffni county went wild, supporters believing they were back in the big time after a 14-year lapse. In the end, though, McEniff’s men ran out 1-14 to 1-11 winners.
“Football that time was totally different, it was man on man. The previous year we were beaten by Antrim in Breffni Park so coming into ’83 there wouldn’t have been a huge amount of expectation on us but you know what it’s like in Cavan, when you win one game, people get excited,” recalls Cavan’s captain that year, Jim Reilly.
“Donegal probably were favourites going into the final but we would have fancied our chances.
“It was nip and tuck the whole way. They were probably stronger at midfield on the day, Cavan didn’t win much there until Stephen King came on and did well.
“We got it hard to get scores in the second half and near the end, Seamus Bonner, Lord have mercy on him, got another penalty, he had scored one earlier.
“Bonner’s second penalty, which he kicked over the bar, was nearly the last kick and put them three up and they just held out.
“Donegal were always physical. That was a physical side, they had players like Martin Griffin at full-back, Des Newton, a Roscommon man, and Anthony Molloy in the middle of the field. Joyce McMullen was an excellent wing-forward, he would have scored three or four points in that final. Martin McHugh was playing on the 40.
“It would have been a regret but you know, we were all young. I was only 23 that time and you always think that there are more chances but when you look back… Ulster became such a hard province to get out of.”
It took Cavan 12 years to even reach another Ulster final, the longest wait in the county’s history. By then, Reilly – a regular Railway Cup and International Rules representative widely regarded as the best Cavan player of the last half century – had retired.
His last year was 1992, when Cavan drew with Donegal in a famous first-round game at Breffni Park, with Damien O’Reilly and Martin McHugh – both of whom have sons togging out on Sunday – scoring unforgettable late points.
“We drew the first day and they beat us in a replay up in Ballybofey and of course they went on to win the All-Ireland,” says Reilly, with a wry smile.
Five years later, of course, Cavan did make the breakthrough in Ulster, this time with McHugh in the blue corner. Cavan went 18 years waiting to make the final – a new, unwanted record – before getting there last year when Donegal handed out what Breffni captain Ray Galligan termed this week as “a five-point hammering”.
On Sunday, with Donegal cruising this far while Cavan have come back from the dead twice, they’ll do it all again.
“They have given us good value for money,” said Reilly.
“A few heart attacks along the way! They seem to be starting the games very slowly. Against Monaghan they were seven behind at half-time, against Antrim they were struggling, but every game so far, there have been big second-half performances.
“But against Donegal, they can’t do that. They’ll have to start on the front foot because Donegal just seem to be relentless going forward.
“The running game that Cavan are trying to play, I don’t think it suits the Cavan style. I think they are better putting Galligan and Madden inside and go long and go early.
“With the running game, if you let Donegal get set up in their system, Cavan just don’t have the runners to come at pace and break them down. I think if they go long and early, they will have a better chance but if they let Donegal rip through them in the first half, they’ll not be clawing back that lead.
“Donegal are a serious attacking outfit. And Murphy hasn’t started to play yet which is the worrying thing.
"But it’s an Ulster final and if Cavan go out the way they did in the second half against Down and go for it, get Donegal on the back foot in some way, which is a big ask, you never know…”
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