SEANIE JOHNSTON has backed Kieran McGeeney to get Armagh “up-and-running” again after he inspired Cavan to a landslide win against his former manager last Saturday.
Johnston, who played for ‘Geezer’ after transferring to Kildare in 2012, scored 1-5 against McGeeney’s Orchard men, including the first of his side’s three goals in their 17-point win at Kingspan Breffni Park.
The victory shoved Johnston’s Cavan up to third in Division Two and sent Armagh to the bottom of the table. With games to come against Galway, Derry and Tyrone, Armagh are in real danger of being relegated, but Johnston says McGeeney will turn the team around.
“He’s a legend of the game and someone that I’m very close to,” he said.
“Knowing the man, he’ll have Armagh up-and-running for next weekend and back in the hunt.”
Johnston’s 1-5 came after he had scored six points the previous weekend to help Cavan battle back to overhaul Meath in the second-half at Pairc Tailteann: “We wanted to put two performances back-to-back and we’re delighted to get two points. It puts us in a decent position in the league,” he said.
“We had a good second-half last week and we tried to push on from that. We started a bit slowly, but then we got to grips with the game and some of the lads around the middle of the field really started to dominate and we clipped on a few points. It was a good first-half and then we kept the foot on the throttle in the second-half and pushed on.”
Armagh led by three points when Johnston took David Givney’s pass and managed to bundle the ball past Orchard goalkeeper Matthew McNeice: “It was a bit of a lucky goal, but they all count,” said the Cavan Gaels star.
“A high ball went in to David Givney - I don’t think he wanted to give it to me, but he got forced to. He nearly hit me on the head with it, but I stuck the leg out and, lucky enough, it went in. But I’ll take it, it put me in a decent position and the lads drove on - some of the performances out the field were really good and we had a lot of runners coming through.”
The start against Meath was Johnston’s first since he returned to the Cavan fold after a four-year absence following his controversial switch to Kildare in 2012. A goal and 11 points and two wins later, all that has now been consigned to history.
“I’m just taking it game-by-game,” said Johnston.
“I’m coming back from an injury and I’m just trying to get minutes under my belt and trying to contribute on the field, if I can. Anything positive I can do, I’ll do and I’ll keep the head down and keep working hard. I’ve been working a bit on the fitness and trying to get up and down.
“The way the modern game has gone, it doesn’t matter what number you have on your back, you could find yourself anywhere on the pitch. We have a lot of players who can play in different positions, so you’re always trying to add a bit of versatility to your game. It’s just a matter of working hard and keeping the engine going.”
The challenge for Johnston and Cavan now is to travel to Brewster Park on Sunday and continue their good run against a Fermanagh side who lost to Armagh but beat Laois.
“We’ve got four points now and another huge game next week,” he said.
“We have to put in another performance and it’ll be another tough game at Brewster Park.”
