Terry Hyland
An intense weekend ahead in Division II, with two big games on Saturday evening and two to follow on Sunday
Allianz Football League Division II Previews
Saturday, February 6
Cavan v Derry, Kingspan Breffni Park, 7pm
One of several Ulster derbies that will take place in Division II this season, these two counties both began with Ulster derbies last weekend, with differing results.
Cavan lost narrowly to Tyrone, 0-10 to 0-8, in a dour game played in very difficult conditions in Omagh. While Terry Hyland's side deserve real credit for the way they contained the All-Ireland semi-finalists, they also can ship some criticism for the return of a familiar failing - a lack of potency in front of goal. With Eugene Keating back in the fold for 2016, Cavan can rightly expect some progress on that front in the coming weeks.
Derry faced a real battle in their opener in Celtic Park against 2015's surprise package Fermanagh. The Erne County were well in the game at half-time, but a Derry turbo charge in the second half changed the game and goals from Cailean O'Boyle and Mark Lynch powered Damien Barton's side to a deserved victory.
Derry defeated Cavan a few weeks ago in the McKenna Cup semi-final, but just like these early round league games (both these sides' games last week were played in dreadful conditions) little of substance can be ascertained from that result.
Regardless, Keating is confident about Cavan's chances in the second tier this year. “We came here with the belief that we were good enough to get something out of it but a few things went against us. I think we lost it more than they beat us to be honest but they’d probably say something different," he said after the Tyrone defeat. “We lost but we have to take the positives out of it – we have Derry next and we have to get ready for that one."
Kieran McGeeney
Saturday, February 6
Armagh v Laois, Athletic Grounds, 7pm - Live on Setanta
Kieran McGeeney is now in his second season as manager in his own right of Armagh (he worked as assistant to Paul Grimley for one year) and while there was some progress last season in the form of promotion from Division III, much more will be expected this year, given that Armagh had quite a disappointing championship campaign last summer, losing heavily to Donegal in Ulster before exiting to Galway in Round 2 of the Qualifiers.
Armagh were beaten relatively comprehensively by Meath in their opener in Navan last weekend, 1-10 to 0-8, and while judging them harshly on the strength of that would be ludicrous, a second defeat in succession in what promises to be a highly competitive division would be quite damaging. Still without the Crossmaglen Rangers players, who are preparing for an All-Ireland senior club semi-final against Castlebar Mitchels, McGeeney will look to talented players such as Stefan Forker, Aidan Forker, Stefan Campbell and Ciaron O'Hanlon to step up and deliver in front of the home crowd at the Athletic Grounds.
With five Ulster teams plus Galway and Meath in Division II this year, Laois were tipped to struggle before the first ball was kicked. If last weekend's game against Galway is anything to go by, those predictions were right. Mick Lillis' side were completely outclassed by the slick Tribesmen, and they will require significant improvement in the coming weeks if they are to avoid the drop to Division III, a fate which has not befallen them since the league was reconstituted in 2008.
To be fair to the O'Moore County, they have started league campaigns poorly before and rallied in the end, last year being a case in point when they finished strongly to survive in Division II. Also, their cause so far this year is not helped by injuries to key players. For example, Ross Munnelly, Colm Begley and John O'Loughlin (broken finger), arguably their top three players, will all miss out this weekend, making the trip to Armagh all the more daunting.
Longford v Meath - Bórd na Móna O'Byrne Cup Group A
Sunday, February 7
Fermanagh v Meath, Brewster Park, 2pm
Although Fermanagh battled well in the first half last weekend against Derry, their subsequent collapse in the second half to the Oak Leaf County has raised questions about their ability to survive in Division II. They have an ideal chance to answer such doubts when they face Meath in Enniskillen on Sunday.
Peter McGrath's side missed Ryan McCluskey against Meath, but by and large the Erne County were at full strength with Seán Quigley, Eoin Donnelly, Ruairi Corrigan and Tomás Corrigan starting. With games against Tyrone, Galway and Armagh all to come, Fermanagh know the importance of picking up points at home and if survival is a realistic aim, picking up something at home to Meath is an imperative.
Meath are on something of a roll in 2016. Mick O'Dowd's side won the O'Byrne Cup last month, the county's first such title in a decade, and they made the ideal start to their Division II campaign last Sunday with a fully deserved five-point victory over Armagh. Meath had a strong side out, and O'Dowd will look to the likes of Mickey Newman, Donal Keogan, Harry Rooney and Padraic Harnan this spring if Meath are to mount a successful promotion bid and end a lengthy spell of absence from the top tier.
"I think every team in Division II should want to be in Division I and if you want to achieve things that's where you need to be, we know that," O'Dowd said after the Armagh game. "But it's so competitive of a division this year that getting to six or seven points is the first priority. When you are there, hopefully you are there with two rounds to go and in with a shout of promotion, that's how I'd look at it."
Reaction: Harte and McCartan reflect on draw
Galway v Tyrone, Pearse Stadium, 2pm
We might only be in Round 2 of the Allianz Football League, but already the meeting of Galway and Tyrone in Salthill has the look of a promotion battle about it. It's not all that long ago since both these counties were All-Ireland contenders every year, so signs of their resurgence are positive, even if both counties have a way to go before they can be called serious contenders again.
Galway made progress last year under Kevin Walsh but must step it up a notch or two again in 2016. Promotion to the top tier is an obvious requirement and they got off to the perfect start last weekend with a classy and dominant 3-12 to 1-10 victory over Laois.
The Tribesmen won All-Ireland U21 titles in 2011 and 2013, and many of those players such as Fiontáin Ó Curraoin, Tom Flynn, Damien Comer and Adrian Varley are now coming to the fore, alongside more seasoned campaigners such as Gary O'Donnell and Paul Conroy. While Galway will miss the US-based Corofin star Michael Lundy this year, they certainly appear to have enough quality to be in with a shout of winning promotion.
Tyrone, relegated from Division I last year before going all the way to the All-Ireland semi-finals, are obvious contenders for promotion. Mickey Harte's side battled the elements - and a seriously organised Cavan defence - in their 0-10 to 0-8 win over the Breffni County last weekend at Healy Park, and while the football wasn't all that pretty, the positive result was all important for Tyrone in what promises to be a tight division.
"Galway are a good side, they've a number of players who have won U21 All-Irelands in the recent past,” Mickey Harte told The Irish News ahead of Sunday's game. “They're a developing side now that Kevin Walsh is back with them. He did good work with Sligo and I'm sure he'd love to do even better work with his home county. We think that will be a very tough game. We travel to Salthill, we've never found it very easy there, no matter what division we were playing in."
