Kieran McGeeney: Armagh boss bemoans team's shooting as 'huge' Cavan game looms
- Published
Kieran McGeeney's side will face Cavan in a big Division Two promotion contest at the Athletic Grounds on 16 March
Kieran McGeeney bemoaned his Armagh side's "shocking shooting" in Sunday's 0-15 to 0-11 win over Fermanagh which he said will have to improve for the vital contest with Cavan in two weeks.
The Armagh boss reckoned his side squandered "2-5 or 2-6" in the first half alone at Enniskillen.
"We left a lot behind us," said the Armagh boss.
"Our next game is going to be a very tough encounter against Cavan, a very physical encounter.
"We under no airs or graces about where we're at. The next one is massive one for us. It's a huge one."
While Armagh remain on course for a Division One return after moving to nine points from their first five games, Cavan are only two points behind in third spot and a Breffni county victory at the Athletic Grounds on 16 March will in all likelihood see them nudge the Orchard men out of the promotion spots.
Armagh went into the weekend in top spot but Donegal's six-point win over Louth saw Jim McGuinness' edge ahead on scoring difference - although the margin couldn't be tighter with the leaders on +32 as against the Orchard County's +31.
"We had two good spells in both halves where we put four or five points between us and we had the chances and scrambled well, didn't cough up chances, but our bad finishing let us down," added McGeeney after the Brewster Park game which took place on Sunday following Saturday's snow-enforced postponement.
"I'm very happy with the points and the victory. It could have been better but we're pushing on to try and get back where we want to be."
Kieran Donnelly's Fermanagh side will next face Louth in a vital Division Two relegation clash at Ardee on St Patrick's Day
Fermanagh boss Kieran Donnelly gave his players credit for testing Armagh but felt the Orchard men's "experience and bench" made the difference in the closing stages.
"Those fellow who came on added energy to the team," added the Erne boss.
"I thought there were some positives, we scored some good scores and managed the ball well for periods of the game but there is no doubt Armagh have quality across the pitch.
"[But] We have to park this game very quickly. We have two big games against Louth and Cavan in our final two games and I think our immediate focus is on them."
After earning three points from their opening two games against Meath and Kildare, Fermanagh have since lost three on the spin - including last week's particularly damaging last-gasp home defeat by Cork - to slip to sixth in the table.
They are now only a point ahead of the seventh-placed Louth men who they will face in Ardee on St Patrick's Day.
That is likely to be no easy task as Louth have been competitive in all their games thus far including Sunday's contest against Donegal, when the home side needed a late goal in Ballyshannon to earn a 1-17 to 0-14 win.