CAVAN manager Mattie McGleenan says his Breffni side will need to improve on what they showed against Offaly to beat Tipperary on July 8.
McGleenan was critical of the “fundamental errors” his side made against Offaly in Tullamore on Sunday evening, but despite them Cavan emerged 1-17 to 0-16 winners.
“We won, that’s the key,” said the former Tyrone star who will use the next 11 days to prepare his side for the visit of last season’s All-Ireland semi-finalists.
“Tipp are a very good team,” he acknowledged.
“They were in the semi-finals last year so we well have to play better than we did against Offaly, that’s the reality. If you’re still in the draw, the games get harder and harder with each round and we’re delighted to have another two weeks’ training to keep our season alive.
“We have a lot to improve on but this draw gives us a great opportunity to improve and learn.”
Tipp are a good test for any ambitious county outfit. Under Liam Kearns they reached the last four in the Sam Maguire series last year playing a refreshing brand of attacking football. This year, Tipp clinched promotion to Division Two after a Michael Quinlivan-led smash-and-grab raid saw them beat Armagh at the Athletic Grounds.
“Tipp are a Division Two team and so are we,” said McGleenan.
“We are going to see where we’re at and what we need to improve on. We have lots to work on from the Offaly game but the attitude is fabulous. The lads are putting a serious shift into training and they’re getting the reward for their efforts.
“Tipperary is a great game. You can’t be complacent, you have to improve to try and stay in the competition as long as we can.”
Meanwhile, Seamus McEnaney will plot the downfall of his native Monaghan after his Wexford side were matched with the Farneymen at Wexford Park.
Corduff Gaels clubman ‘Banty’ spent six seasons at the Monaghan helm between 2005 and 2010 and led the Farneymen to two Ulster finals and an All-Ireland quarter-final in 2007 which eventual Sam Maguire winners Kerry won by a point.
Speaking yesterday, McEnaney was giving nothing away.
“If you had told me last October that we’d get promoted to Division Three and be playing Championship football to the middle of July I would have said ‘happy days;,” he said.
“We saw a Division One team (Dublin) against the Division Four champions (Westmeath) so we have to be realistic about where we are. My job is to facilitate the Wexford players and maximise their potential and we’ll see how far that takes us.”
McEnaney’s time as Monaghan manager ended in 2010 when the county board unexpectedly decided to seek other nominations for the position of manager. The Monaghan senior panel was highly critical of the move, but McEnaney left to become Meath manager and, after a spell out of the game, he returned this season to guide Wexford to promotion from Division Four.
His Model county side suffered a surprise loss to Carlow in their Leinster Championship opener, but bounced back to see off Limerick last weekend. Next up is that meeting with McEnaney’s fellow countymen on July 8 and Monaghan will include Dessie Mone, Colin Walshe, Darren and Kieran Hughes, Kieran Duffy and Conor McManus, all of whom cut their inter-county teeth under ‘Banty’.
It’s not the first time McEnaney has come up against his native county. He led Meath to a 1-15 to 1-9 win over Monaghan in Division Two back in 2012.
All-Ireland SFC Round 2B Qualifier draw, July 8
Westmeath v Armagh (TEG Cusack Park, 7pm)
Wexford v Monaghan (Innovate Wexford Park, 3pm)
Carlow v Leitrim (Netwatch Dr Cullen Park, 3pm)
Cavan v Tipperary (Kingspan Breffni, 2pm)
