Owen Mulligan: The writing is on the wall for Cavan

Tyrone legend Owen Mulligan is in no mood to contemplate a win for Cavan over his beloved county and he pulls no punches ahead of the qualifier game on Saturday…

Cavan were brilliant in the National League and they got some massive results against the likes of Cork, Meath and Louth.

However, defensively they’re struggling and they haven’t carried their form into the Championship.

Donegal notched up a cricket score against them and the writing is on the wall for them going into this game.

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Down were definitely unlucky not to beat them last weekend and the ref definitely fell on Cavan’s side. It could’ve gone either way.

Up front they were doing well with their big forwards scoring and if you get the ball into them they’ll be a threat.

I can’t see anything other than a Tyrone win this weekend though and I reckon Cavan will be well beaten.

Dukes up

What happened between Cavan and Down has been going on for a lifetime with those two. It started off underage and has been bubbling under for some time so it’s not surprising to see.

It’s not nice to see, the Tyrone and Armagh U-20s was a holy show a few weeks back and it drags the game through the mud in the press and on social media. The way things are going people are getting suspended and then getting off, that helps no-one, you either get punished or you don’t.

Saying that there we’ve been in serious brawls. The Battle of Omagh was probably the liveliest one I was ever involved in.

Can you say it brings you together? Of course it does, you’re a band of brothers and you’re sticking up for each other on and off the field.

You’re in it together and Cavan and Down were no different at the weekend. It’s unsavoury and you don’t want to see it.

We always had men to back it up though, the likes of Kevin Hughes and Conor Gormley would always have your back. Young players seem to get intimidated and players feel the need to stick up for them.

Tied up for Tyrone

Mattie McGleenan as a Tyrone manager will know his opponents inside out and Mickey Harte is sure to have his homework done.

Cavan have given us a couple of scares so Mickey will be on guard, but like I said it’s a bridge too far for Cavan and Tyrone will beat them handy.

Tyrone are going through the Qualifiers handy enough.

Meath was a bit of a scare and Carlow was easy enough after a rocky start, but they’re building momentum and they’ll relish this game.

I think this game will kick start their season.

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What do you think?