Cardinal Ó Fiaich Cup semi-final: Armagh v Derry (tomorrow, 1.30pm, Crossmaglen)
A MONTH from the end of the 2016 and the 2017 inter-county season gets underway tomorrow afternoon in Crossmaglen.
The Ó Fiaich Cup begins with the meeting of what are highly likely to be experimental Derry and Armagh teams as Damian Barton and Kieran McGeeney offer the first taste of inter-county football to a handful of young players.
Indeed, the game is likely to resemble an under-21 tie as both sides are unlikely to travel with much experience. Derry look set to bring James Kielt as part of their squad but it will otherwise be largely made up of younger faces.
Young Glen trio Danny Tallon, Michael Warnock and Jack Doherty could all make their senior debuts after they joined the squad in pre-season.
Tallon and Doherty were central figures in recent successful MacRory Cup teams at St. Patrick’s Maghera, the former the talisman of the 2014 Hogan Cup winning side, while all three were at the heart of Glen’s stunning four-in-a-row at Ulster minor club level.
Swatragh midfielder Patrick Kearney was another member of the more recent St. Patrick’s team and recently attended an Australian Rules trial in Dublin, and he too could make his debut.
Castledawson’s highly-rated man-marker Niall Keenan, who turned in a series of superb displays as Derry won their first Ulster minor title in 13 years last summer, may also feature in defence.
The game could also see the return of Mark Craig, Benny Heron and Carlus McWilliams to the Oak Leaf colours. Craig accepted an invitation to rejoin the panel after he was removed in the summer for playing in a club game, while Heron missed 2016’s Championship campaign as he travelled to America for the summer.
His Ballinascreen clubmate McWilliams has been a peripheral figure on squads under various managers but will be hopeful of carrying his club form into the county setup.
Armagh could hand home debuts to Oisin O’Neill and Aidan Rushe. The highly rated Crossmaglen pair have been in training with the county along with clubmate Paul Hughes as part of an extended panel which reportedly features 50 players.
Maghery duo Ben Crealey and Ciaran Higgins, who excelled in central positions during their club’s historic run to the Armagh title this autumn, are also likely to play some part, while their clubmates Oisin Lappin and Conor Mackle could also feature.
Dromintee’s Darren McKenna and Conor Martin have also been involved in training along with Wolfe Tones’ Jonathan McCarron.
Predicting the exact identity of the two line-ups is as tricky an adventure as predicting a result from the first outing of the year. With both camps undergoing some heavy work in recent weeks, the legs may tire on both sides beyond the half-time interval.
And that will open the door for whoever uses the kick-pass better. Armagh’s attacking play at times last year lacked refinement but their directness on the counter could be an asset here.
