Cavan SFC round one
Killygarry v Castlerahan (Friday, Kingspan Breffni, 8pm)
THERE’S a train of thought in Cavan football circles that two separate races will make up the county SFC this year.
Of the 12 teams taking to the starting line, a lot of pundits have included Killygarry and Castlerahan among those destined NOT to be in the race for the Oliver Plunkett Cup.
Cavan’s blue-riband competition got underway at Kingspan Breffni Park last night and continues this evening (8pm), with the two aforementioned outsiders meeting.
Similarly to 2023, this year’s Cavan SFC is to be run on a league basis up to the quarter-final stage with a knock-out thereafter.
Each team will play four rounds in the league phase against different opponents with the fixtures decided by a random draw at the conclusion of each round.
Killygarry go into this evening’s duel as favourites even though they failed to win promotion from Division Two in this year’s league (after losing at the semi-final stage). For their part, Castlerahan retained their Division One status after a relegation play-off.
Tonight’s match will see a lot of the players who featured in Killygarry’s 2022 SFC final defeat (to Gowna) return to the big stage with the likes of current county players Cian Reilly, Oisín Brady and Darragh Lovett on board, as well as former stalwart Martin Reilly.
Killygarry’s forte is their potency up front, but their top man in that regard, Conor Smith, is currently injured so that gives Castlerahan a measure of hope.
The Ballyjamesduff outfit won the SFC in 2018 and 2019 but their best days are well behind them. That said, Fergal Reilly, Cormac Daly, David Wright and Oisín O’Connell are still among the best club players in Cavan and, with a good supporting cast tonight, can trouble Killygarry.
Two years ago, Killygarry were the surprise packets of the SFC in reaching the decider.
It will be just as big a surprise if they don’t collect the two points tonight.
Kiernan’s Service Station Cavan SFC round one
(all games at Kingspan Breffni)
Thursday Gowna v Kingscourt (8pm)
Friday Killygarry v Castlerahan (8pm)
Saturday Ballinagh v Laragh (5pm); Crosserlough v Lavey (7pm)
Sunday Mullahoran v Cavan Gaels (5pm); Ballyhaise v Ramor Utd (7pm)
