The rumour mill has been swirling with tales of hobbled Rossies but we won't know just how bad the damage is until the teams line out. If it's true Senan Kilbride, Cathal Shine, Diarmuid Murtagh and Niall Carty all miss out, then Cavan will never have a better chance of overturning the recent run of form in this fixture.
Roscommon have had Cavan in a vice-grip for a few seasons now. Between league, championship and under-21, the sides have met seven times since 2012 and Cavan only have one win to show for it. When they met at this stage in the championship last year, the Rossies ran up an 11-point win on Cavan’s home patch.
They’ve beaten them in a league final, they’ve beaten them in an under-21 All-Ireland semi-final. When it has mattered, Roscommon have had the better of it.
And yet, even if the word on the injuries is wrong, Cavan have little to fear. They’ve had the better summer, putting up a serious performance against Monaghan to only lose by a point, before swatting London aside in Ruislip.
Roscommon were equally professional in putting London away but the defeat to Sligo exposed them as callow and curiously inflexible when it came to solving problems. Sligo were good but it wasn’t as if they brought a brand of total football to the table – Roscommon were brought low because they couldn’t adapt against the diagonal ball. Hardly rocket science.
Cavan have a right chance here. Their blanket is usually pretty sound and Michael Argue is growing into his role at full forward. If the Rossies are as short on bodies as they’re rumoured to be, this is Cavan’s to lose
Last meeting: All-Ireland SFC Qualifier Round 2B, July 12th 2014, Breffni Park – Roscommon 0-16 Cavan 0-5.
Betting: Cavan 11/10, Roscommon 6/5, Draw 15/2.
Just the ticket: Adults €15, Students & Seniors €10; U16 free.
Injuries: Roscommon have worries over Niall Carty, Senan Kilbride, Cathal Shine (right) and Diarmuid Murtagh; Cavan will definitely be without Rory Dunne and possibly Killian Clarke.
Cavan: TBC.
Roscommon: TBC.
Referee: David Gough (Meath)
Verdict: Cavan
