Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final

Antrim v Cavan

Saturday, Corrigan Park, 2pm

By Michael McMullan

PREPARING for the championship after playing in Division Four brings uncertainty and Mickey Graham said Cavan won’t know where they are until Saturday’s opener with Antrim kicks into gear.

The Breffni boss also insists the new condensed inter-county season is a demanding one, speaking on the back of eight games in 10 weeks that saw Cavan promoted from the bottom tier.

After winning Ulster in 2020 and the back-to-back relegations that followed, Graham stresses their “main goal” of getting back into Division Three wasn’t as straightforward as many felt it would be.

“There were a lot of tight games that you had to grind out,” points out the former Cavan attacking ace.

“That’s what you expect when it comes to league football. I am delighted to be out of there and looking forward to the championship.”

After using 34 players in the league and having a strong spine to build others around, Graham acknowledges it can be difficult to gauge where his side are at as they aim to make their first championship steps on the back of a winter in football’s basement division.

“We’ll find out very quickly on Saturday in Corrigan Park where we are at,” he said, stressing the annual competitive edge the Ulster Championship serves up.

Saturday’s game was prominent in the headlines surrounding the ‘Corrigan or nowhere’ debate around taking the fixture elsewhere before Ulster GAA finally ruled on it
staying at the Belfast venue that will be bursting at the seams this weekend.

“That’s what the Ulster Championship is all about, the atmosphere,” Graham said of what he expects when the Breffni Blues roll into town.

“That’s what players train for, to play in games like that. I know it is a tight ground, but players have played in situations like this before in front of big crowds and it will generate excitement and hopefully it will be a good competitive game that’s what players train for.”

It will be a contrast to Cavan’s four-point win over Antrim in an eerie and empty Kingspan Breffni on their way to the Anglo Celt Cup in 2020.

“It was tough, but it was something the players had to adapt to but it’s great the crowds are back out to football again and players can showcase their talent in front of a good crowd,” Graham added.

He confirmed that Oisin Pierson and Conor Smith haven’t recovered form injury and won’t come into his selection thoughts this week.

A hamstring injury has kept Oisin Kiernan out of the team since their 1-11 to 1-7 home defeat to Tipperary in round four of the league.

Graham said that while Kiernan is “50-50” and the management will give him until the last minute to assess
his fitness, but it’s unlikely he’ll feature.

On the flip side, Conor Brady and Ciarán ‘Holla’ Brady are available for selection.

“It has been a demanding season for players and a real test of the depth within the squad,” Graham said.

“With a very tight turnaround leading into the championship, there is not much time to get lads fixed up.

“Over the course of the next few weeks teams will definitely struggle with injuries because you don’t have much time.

“Lads are going into the championship carrying few knocks and sometimes that can be dangerous because that can lead to a worse injury and a longer spell on the sideline, so that’s what you carry a big squad for.”