McCabe calls for fans’ backing ahead of crunch Dublin game

By Michael McMullan

CAVAN manager Dermot McCabe is hoping his side can deliver more efficiency in front of goal and that the fans can come out and get behind them on Sunday.

Dublin are the visitors to Kingspan Breffni and with the safety net now gone for both teams, the loser will bow out of the All-Ireland series.

Cavan needed a belter of a two-pointer from Conor Casey to force extra-time against Westmeath.

However, after getting a handle on the game, they came up short as Westmeath made a late charge for home.

“I think we had as many and maybe more shots than Westmeath and we just didn’t convert them,” McCabe told Gaelic Life.

Looking back over the league campaign, Cavan were very close to beating Cork and Meath who went on to gain promotion. On the final day, they passed up goal chances after a bright start against Derry.

Since then, McCabe handed out six debuts in the Ulster Championship with another three in Mullingar.

“We probably haven’t been learning quickly enough,” he said about how close they came to more victories during the league.

“We probably try and solve as we go along. We try and prep as well for teams as we possibly can.”

Having managed Westmeath last season, it helped in terms of familiarity and preparing for kick-out scenarios.

“We won a lot of them, 75 or 80 per cent of our own kick outs and won 50 per cent of their kick outs,” he said. “We probably didn’t have the efficiency to convert them into scores.”

That’s an area Cavan must get a handle on this weekend and McCabe hopes fans will back the team in the biggest outing of the season.

He spoke of the value Westmeath had from tapping into a packed house in Mullingar with Cavan fans unable to get their hands on tickets.

“It’s nice to get a home draw,” he said. “It definitely had an effect I think in a lot of 50-50 calls (against Westmeath).

“If we could have a big cheer here it would be huge for us.”

While Dublin are not the force they were in comparison to the blue wave under Jim Gavin when they hoovered up six All-Irelands in a row, McCabe still believes they’re a quality outfit.

“Dublin are Dublin,” he said. “I know that they are probably in a rebuilding phase.

“When you start listing out some of the players they have, they have huge achievements and are still playing extremely well.”

McCabe feels it is a very difficult game and the Cavan preparations have included a look under the Dublin bonnet.

From their own point of view, Evan Crowe and Conor Casey’s injuries will be a blow to the Breffni plans.

“I think it’s going to be a huge experience and a huge buzz when Dublin go on tour,” McCabe added.

“I’d imagine they’ll be putting out a war cry to have as many supporters as they possibly can, and we’ll be doing the same.

“Kingspan Breffni is a great facility, an arena. If we can get a crowd in here, it will be a great atmosphere and a great occasion.”

“It is good in one aspect, but it’s not nice to have teams happy to come and play here.

“We want to try and create an arena and a place that this is a very difficult place to come.

“I know it’s a wonderful setting, but we need to make sure that we start winning games here.”