Yesterday was a painful one and I'll therefore try and keep it succinct.
Cavan were the better team yesterday and deserved their victory. However the six points winning margin really flattered them and was tough on our lads. I've commented in the past - and recent past at that - that we are not a ruthless team and unfortunately yet again there was ample evidence for that yesterday. We spurned four gilt-edged goal chances, with the one that Jamie missed of the startling variety. Any one of those chances taken had the potential to turn what was a very tight contest on its head. Those are the margins.
Cavan were exceptional in their scores to shots ratio - they had very few wides whilst I can recall us spurning a few great opportunities which were turned over and they got a point - a two point swing in a minute. The reality is that their attackers were not faced with as tight a defence as our attackers were and as a consequence Cavan shots at goals were of the more comfortable variety - our lads were under real pressure to get shots away and our wides tally reflected that.
I would also add that in games of tight margins, issues like free-taking come into sharp focus. Their keeper nailed a few absolutely brilliant - and important - frees from difficult positions whereas ours were missed. Yesterday highlighted the true context of that alleged conversation that Geezer is meant to have had with Jack Grugan.
I still think though that there is potential there and that we can look forward to the qualifiers with a bit of positivity. I think Super 8s is still a possibility with a favourable draw.
Lastly, management of course getting a bit of a kicking as we were beaten yesterday. Those doing so should consider some of those goal chances that we let go - all from players who everyone probably agrees that should be on, and which were game changing.
Management's fault of course!?!?
