Ronan Gallagher says that there will be no room for shadow boxing on Sunday when Fermanagh meet Armagh in Brewster Park. A win for Fermanagh will keep alive the promotion hopes while victory for the Orchard will guarantee them Division Two football next season.
With so much riding on the game then there is little scope for either side in playing their cards close to their chest as the sides will again meet at the same venue in the Ulster Championship quarter-finals.
“It would be great to keep a trick or two up our sleeves for the championship but I think both Armagh and ourselves will put out the best team possible and try to bring enough energy and work rate to the game to try and get over the line. I’m not sure there will be much shadow boxing but there will be plenty of intensity,” said Gallagher who is a member of brother Rory’s backroom team.
He does though feel that the game will have a championship feel to it given what is at stake.
“It’s a massive game and great preparation for the championship as well in terms of a match that means a lot. They are going really well and living in Armagh I would have seen them a good bit over the last couple of years. They are in good shape and have a lot of quality and it is going to provide a big challenge for us,” he added.
And having seen plenty of Kieran McGeeney’s charges in recent years, Gallagher knows the talent they possess but he says that the key for Fermanagh is first and foremost to get their own game right.
 “Ethan Rafferty has been on fire for them although he went off injured the last day, they have Andrew Murnin inside whose movement is excellent and they have played Eddie English in there who has been off the radar this last couple of years but was a very good underage player. You have Grimley, Forker and Grugan so they have a potent forward line. Defensively they are always solid, Gregory McCabe has come in there at centre half back, they have Patrick Burns who did a great job on Enda Lynn at the weekend and Blaine Hughes is a very decent goalkeeper. They are strong all over but as in any game we have to try and get our own game right for a start and see where that takes us,” he commented.
Fermanagh will have been disappointed to have suffered their first league defeat last Sunday in Mullingar and Gallagher says that they have been trying to learn the lessons from all their games, whether won or lost.
We are aware of areas that need improvement and we have been trying to learn the lessons. Even in victory we have been trying to learn as many lessons as possible and the boys have been trying to take that on board,” said the former Fermanagh goalkeeper.
Gallagher is enjoying working with the group so far and feels that their attitude has been excellent since they started out. Now though it is about trying to push on as the season approaches the business end.
“I know every management team says that but they have been a pleasure to work with, anything that is asked of them, it’s not a problem. There is probably a core group of fellas there from Peter Canavan’s time, through Pete McGrath and now under Rory and they are very serious about their football and about trying to fulfill their potential and that it always positive and hopefully the younger players that are there are learning from that as well. 
“Everybody has displayed a really good attitude and I suppose it is now about trying to find that extra few per cent first of all for Sunday and then on towards the championship,” he stated.