McGeeney’s new faces book place in Division 2

KIERAN McGEENEY inherited a talented Armagh team in late 2014 which looked destined to build on a near miss against Donegal in that season’s All-Ireland quarterfinals. The Orchard side that clinched promotion to Division 2 with yesterday’s 07 to 0-7 draw in Fermanagh contained just three of that starting team from four years ago. Charlie Vernon, Brendan Donaghy and Aidan Forker are still there but it’s unfamiliar surnames like Burns, Lappin, McCabe, Kennedy and Crealey that McGeeney is now putting his faith in. Those players dug Armagh out of a tight spot in Enniskillen because after playing into the strong wind they trailed by four points at half-time. It was a large deficit in a low scoring game but a secondhalf rally, aided by the dismissals of Fermanagh duo Daniel Teague and Aidan Breen, turned things around. Not to the extent that Armagh repeated last June’s Championship win over Fermanagh but three Rory Grugan points, and an equaliser from Niall Grimley, secured the draw. Fermanagh can still go up with Armagh, but their clash with Longford is now a promotion shoot-out. Longford joined Fermanagh in joint second position on nine points by beating Westmeath 1-16 to 1-12, Connor Berry’s late goal glossing the scoreline. Westmeath led by five after just 12 minutes though Longford fought back to lead 0-12 to 1-7 at half-time and doubled that advantage by full-time. Wexford, meanwhile, have been relegated to Division 4 after their 2-20 to 3-8 loss in Derry. Exactly a year ago Wexford celebrated promotion to Division 3 after just five games under new boss Seamus McEnaney. Since then, they have played 12 league and Championship matches and lost 11. ‘We were beaten by three points twice and had four lads sent off during the first five matches which wouldn’t have helped us,’ said manager Paul McLoughlin, whose side conceded goals to Padraig McGrogan and Emmett Bradley.