By Shaun Casey

CAVAN can only focus on the game in hand and not concern themselves with the chances of playing Division One football next season, says Aishling Sheridan ahead of Saturday’s crunch clash with Tyrone.

The Breffni County are currently at the top of Division Two and on the cusp of earning promotion to the top tier, but their hosts on Sunday are also eyeing up an immediate return to Division One.

Cavan have yet to taste defeat in 2026, winning four of their last five outings following their opening day draw with Mayo and Sheridan insists their game-by-game approaching has been working so far.

“It was always just a game-by-game basis,” said the Mullahoran star. “We never really got ahead of ourselves, we always only ever focused on whoever we were playing next and that’ll be the same coming into our next game.

“We obviously know we’ve Tyrone and it is a big game because I think if we can get the win over then, I don’t know does it 100% guarantee that we’re promoted but it leaves us in a really strong position.

“At the start of the year a lot of people’s focus was maybe on championship. I don’t think Cavan have actually ever been in Division One, I’m not 100% sure on that but that would be history in itself but for now we can only focus on playing Tyrone and hope we get the result.”

Competing against the best teams in Division Two, like Tyrone, Donegal and Mayo, has given Emmet Daly’s side a massive boost of confidence and Sheridan hopes they can carry that form into the championship.

“Last year, because we played Division Three league, we did find that when it came to championship and played teams from Division Two, you noticed it was a little bit more hard-hitting and intense than Division Three,” she added.

“That was a big focus for us, and we wanted to be up playing the senior teams, the conditioned Division Two teams because once it comes to the Intermediate Championship, that’s our big goal is to get senior status.

“Playing the likes of Donegal and Mayo, that will stand to us when it comes to Ulster Championship and then onto the All-Ireland series because they’re obviously well-conditioned senior teams.

“You happy to be competing against them and doing okay against them, it does give you that bit of belief as a team that we are able to compete in this division and if we hold onto that, it will really benefit us come the championship.”