PAT: WE WON’T CAVE IN TO CAVAN

PAT FLANAGAN insists Offaly are making progress – despite another crushing loss in the Leinster Championship.

The Faithful county crashed out in a replay with Westmeath last week (left) – conceding 3-17 – and have won just one provincial game in 12 attempts. But Flanagan, in his third season in charge, insists they’re moving in the right direction.

He said: “They look like athletes now, they work like athletes and think like footballers. When we took them over they were in a very, very weak and low position.

“Obviously the scoreline against Westmeath last weekend would suggest that it hasn’t improved a lot but I would totally disagree with that.”

Offaly will need to show real character against a Cavan side that competed two divisions higher in the League.

But former Westmeath and Sligo manager Flanagan is confident that his team can bounce back with a big win this evening.

Earlier in the year, they leaked 6-22 to Armagh in the League yet finished their campaign strong, winning two of their remaining three games.

Flanagan said: “When we got that heavy defeat against Armagh, those players dug very, very deep to stay in Division 3. It meant something to them and they were very proud.

“In the drawn game against Westmeath, had we kept 15 players on the pitch, I think we might have won the game. But that wasn’t to be and we paid the price.”