By Niall Gartland

CAVAN legend Damien O’Reilly believes that they can count themselves somewhat unfortunate to be staring relegation in the face ahead of Sunday’s final round of fixtures.

It’s more or less a two-way battle between themselves and Kildare to avoid that second relegation spot with Offaly already consigned to Division Three football for 2027.

Cavan picked up their first win of the campaign last weekend against Mickey Harte’s side and have two points to their name ahead of Sunday afternoon’s trip to Celtic Park to take on Derry, while Kildare face a tough assignment against in-form Louth in their final match of the campaign.

O’Reilly soldiered alongside Cavan manager Dermot McCabe in his playing days, winning a long-awaited Ulster Championship title in 1997, and he believes there is one particular reason why the early days of his tenure haven’t quite gone to play – a turnover in personnel.

“We are conceding a lot of goals. I’d say what’s beginning to happen is we have a few changes in personnel. There’s not the same consistency. Niall Carolan, for example, who has been a very good full-back, was involved with his club Cúchulainn’s in the Ulster Intermediate club, so he was late coming back in.

“The full-back who played last year, Brian O’Connell from Ramor, missed the first two games as well. Then you’re looking at Jason McLoughlin, who has great experience. Dermot brought in a lad from his own club, Cormac Brady, who is a good player. It’s just a transition of players at a time where you don’t get a chance in Division 2 – you’re just punished.”

Cavan were unlucky in their first two matches where they were pipped at the post by both Cork and Louth. That left them playing catch-up, and O’Reilly also wonders whether confidence has been dented by their run of defeats, which ended at the sixth time of asking against Offaly last weekend

“I was in Cork for our first match – and if you look at Cork, they beat Kerry in the FBD League final the week before. We were going down there more in hope than expectation. But we were winning that game with four or five minutes to go. It was a massive turnaround, and then all of a sudden you have Meath the next week – we were losing that match and then fought back, and they got a two-pointer to win it.

“I suppose there were close calls, and maybe for Dermot it always seems to be close. He’s been on the wrong side of a lot of close matches, including at Westmeath last year.

“I think the performances just haven’t been as good since those first two matches. I don’t know whether it’s a confidence issue or what.

“We beat Kildare, but now we see how poor they were. Maybe it’s just taking time for everything to bed-in and settle.”