TIME TWO STEP UP..

Mcgeeney’s wary of League challenge

KIERAN MCGEENEY wants Armagh’s Ulster rivals to toughen them up ahead of a bruising Division Two campaign.

For the newly-promoted Orchard to hold their own in the second tier of the Allianz League, Mcgeeney thinks they need to hit the ground running in the Mckenna Cup.

And after a facile 6-17 to 1-7 win over students St Mary’s before Christmas, he’ll be hoping for better things from Antrim and Monaghan.

Armagh go to Glenavy tomorrow to face the Saffrons before hosting Monaghan at the Athletic Grounds in the final group game next Wednesday night.

“They’ll be bigger, stronger tests,” says the Armagh boss. “Antrim will give us a good test and Monaghan are All-ireland semi-finalists, so it doesn’t matter what team they put out, it would be a strong one for us.

“It’s all good stuff to look forward to and we need a strong test because we start with Kildare in Division Two and every game after that is top drawer.”

Geezer’s caution ahead of the League is well placed, given what happened the last time Armagh operated in Division Two.

He gained promotion from the third division in his first season in charge of Armagh in 2015 – but they crashed straight back down again in 2016.

It’s taken them two seasons to get out of it again – and they’ll do everything they can to stay there this time, even though the opposition is stiff.

“Ourselves and Fermanagh went up and would be on a par, but we have also have Meath, Cork, Tipp, Clare and Donegal – you have some serious squads in there.

“It will be a tough hunting ground for us but that’s what we want and where we need to be.”

The game is one of three allcounty clashes tomorrow with Fermanagh taking on Derry and Down hosting Donegal in Pairc Esler.

It (division two) will be a tough hunting ground for us..