Former Antrim player Gearoid Adams believes that Antrim should be confident about their game against Cavan this weekend.

The Saffrons may have a poor record in Ulster Championship football, and their form in the league is not inspiring either, yet Adams believes that Antrim have the ability to cause a shock.

“I think it is a good draw for Antrim and that is no disrespect to Cavan.

“Cavan are a very good team and are an up and coming side. I think that Antrim were probably expecting Monaghan but in Cavan they have a team that they have a good history against.

“We beat Cavan in 2003, I know that’s a long time ago, and we beat them in 2009. So this  is a match up that has been good for Antrim.”

But positive historical results don’t win championships. Victory for Lenny Harbinson’s team is going to demand a little more than a note in a records book.

Yet Adams believes that Antrim could have the game plan to really test Cavan this weekend.

“What they are going to have to deal is deal with the physical match ups of this game.

“Gearoid McKiernan is a physically imposing player who might be marked by James McAuley. I think perhaps they might change that. James usually plays at six but he tends to sweep. So maybe they might put a man marker on Gearoid.

“The other man they have to watch is Martin Reilly, he can do a lot of damage if allowed.

“There are others in there too like Gerard Smith and Fortune. The got a few points between them. So Cavan have a lot of scoring threats.

“But I expect that Lenny will have a system in place for all that.”

Cavan stunned Monaghan last weekend in a game that reminded everyone of the excitement of knockout Championship football, with no back doors or safety nets for the two teams.

Monaghan were expected to win because they are a division one team, while Cavan had been relegated out of division two.

For Adams, one lesson that Antrim should have learned from that game between Cavan and Monaghan was in the Breffni’s defence.

“Monaghan got in for a few goal chances and that is important.

“If they had have taken them it might have been a different outcome. So Antrim should really go out and go for it. I think if they got a goal early on it would be very important.”

At the same time, Adams thinks that Cavan will be delighted with the draw.

He believes that the Breffni will think that they have got an easy pass through to the semi-finals.

“They will see this draw as a big positive for them. They will see it as the best draw possible for them. When that happens sometimes you can catch a team on the hop.”

But for Antrim to have a chance of winning this weekend then it comes down to personal belief.

In Adams’s opinion, the Saffrons have to believe that they can win.

“Antrim are a confidence team. They have to have confidence. Things have to go their way. But at the same time I think that players are going to have to stand up. There are men in there who have to stand up and take responsibility.”

Yet the recent result against Wicklow remains a blot on the landscape. That heavy defeat must have did damage to their confidence.

Adams feels that the team bounced back in the following game against Wateford.

“Mick McCann is in there and he’s a player who can control a game. They have Tomas McCann coming in there as well.

“The team have to be positive. This is a good draw for Antrim and they should go out and take the game to Cavan.”