ARMAGH will return to Division One in very impressive style if they beat Ulster rivals Cavan at the Athletic Grounds on Saturday (5pm).
After four wins and a draw against Donegal, Kieran McGeeney’s unbeaten side can clinch promotion with a game to spare with victory on home soil but getting out of Division Two rarely goes by the script and the Breffnimen will throw a spanner in the works if they take the two points.
That would leave them level with Armagh on nine apiece and push the promotion battle to the final round of games in which the Orchardmen have to travel to Cork while Cavan host Fermanagh at Kingspan Breffni.
There’s lots at stake but Saturday is a time for calm heads and composure, says Armagh mentor Conleith Gilligan.
“All the League games are equally important because if you lose any of them you put yourself under pressure,” said the Ballinderry native.
“This one is no different to the first five and you just hope that you get the performance you’ve been working towards. Cavan have been Ulster champions in recent times so we know what to expect.”
Cavan hosted Armagh in the Ulster Championship last season and were second best until a late fightback saw them threaten to steal a win - Rian O’Neill had to produce a flying goalmouth save to keep them at bay. In this campaign Ray Galligan’s side has lost just once (by a point against Donegal) and showed their mettle by squeezing out one-point wins against Cork and Louth.
“Cavan are new to Division Two this year and they’ve hit the ground running with wins right from the off,” said Gilligan.
“The League is like a mini-Ulster Championship and that brings its own stresses and pressure because the teams know each other so well. In an ideal world of course we’d love to have it (promotion) wrapped up before we go to Cork but the reality is that when you’re playing Ulster teams in League or Championship things might not go to plan and sometimes you have to roll with the punches.
“But this is the game in front of us and it’s a game we really want to win. Division Two is a really difficult division because of what’s at stake - if you happen to go on a bad run and you drop down the table then you’re starting looking at the Tailteann Cup…
“So there is an awful lot of pressure in Division Two that doesn’t exist in Division One because the Championship is determined on it as well. It’s a difficult and stressful League and most of the games have been very tight for long periods.”
After several very successful seasons with Down’s Kilcoo, former Derry star Gilligan managed Tyrone club Edendork last year before returning to the inter-county game with Armagh. He has watched the Orchard squad continue to strive towards making a long-awaited breakthrough at Championship level.
“From doing media work I’d have seen a lot of Armagh over the last few years,” he said.
“They have been very close (to success), they are an established group of players, very experienced and they are a pleasure to be involved with.
“They’re really committed to it and they want success for Armagh and their supporters and they work really hard towards that. In years gone by, they haven’t had the run of the green and it’s just a case where you have to keep working hard and hope that your ship comes in and Sunday is another step towards that.
“Players have come back from different stages of injuries and the bench has been strong this year so far and it’s just a case that everybody is pushing really hard and everybody wants to play. That’s really positive for the team and we’ll be picking from a full squad for Saturday.”
