Dubs aim to bring Cavan’s C’ship adventure to a close
By Daire Walsh
FOR JUST the fifth time in the history of the competition, Dublin and Cavan will clash at the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship on Saturday in Croke Park (5.30pm).
To date, the Metropolitans have a perfect record against the Breffni County having previously defeated them at the penultimate phase in 1892, 1920, 1925 and 1942. It is in the National Football League where Cavan have had the greater joy, overcoming Dublin in 1935, 1936, 1948 and 1960.
When it was announced back in June that the football championship was reverting to a straight knockout format for the first time in 20 years, it was anticipated that Dublin and Donegal would be the teams to emerge as the respective Leinster and Ulster champions.
While Dessie Farrell’s side wrapped up a 10th successive provincial crown with minimal fuss, Cavan tore up the form book with an outstanding Ulster SFC triumph at the expense of the O’Donnell County last month.
Mickey Graham’s men secured the Anglo-Celt Cup the hard way as they also defeated Monaghan, Antrim and Down en route to facing Donegal.
Though it is viewed as one of the shock results of the season, Farrell and many of his players were already well aware of the talent that exists within Cavan.
Before steamrolling Roscommon in the All-Ireland U21 football decider of 2014, Dublin scraped past the Ulster men by the skin of their teeth in a titanic semi-final battle.
Ten of the current senior panel were involved in that game against a Cavan outfit that had just completed a four-in-a-row of Under 21 provincial titles. Including amongst this crop were Robbie McDaid and Niall Scully – of Ballyboden St Enda’s and Templeogue Synge Street respectively.
They have been two of Dublin’s best performers thus far in the championship, with McDaid cementing a starting spot at wing-back and Scully amassing an impressive scoring tally of 1-5 in three games to date.
St Jude’s star Tom Lahiff had partnered Brian Fenton at midfield in the wins over Westmeath and Laois, but missed out on the Leinster final triumph over Meath.
His club-mate Kevin McManamon enjoyed a brief cameo in the latter fixture, while the likes of Cian Murphy (Thomas Davis), Emmett Ó Conghaile (Lucan Sarsfields), Michael Darragh Macauley and Colm Basquel (both Ballyboden) have also been part of Farrell’s panel in 2020.
Given the way Cavan have defied expectations in reaching their first All-Ireland semi-final since 1997, Dublin will not be inclined to take Saturday’s test lightly.
Indeed Farrell will be hell-bent on picking up where his predecessor Jim Gavin left off and knows anything less than a Sam Maguire Cup in his debut campaign will be viewed as an underachievement.