KIERAN McGeeney’s absence had little bearing on the result yesterday according to Armagh’s stand-in manager John Toal.
With McGeeney serving a 12-week sideline ban, Toal was promoted from the management team to steer the Orchard ship at Pairc Esler. His side went in a point ahead at the break but ultimately exited Ulster at the first hurdle for the third successive year under McGeeney’s management and Toal said being without ‘Geezer’ was no excuse.
“We knew before that he wasn’t going to be involved, we talked about it all week and the players knew what the situation was going to be,” he said.
“Obviously it was a loss not having him there at half-time to give further directions but it was something we were aware of and we just had to make do.”
McGeeney watched the match from the stand and Toal confirmed that he had no input in the game.
“He’s not allowed to do that so we had no communication with him,” said the Keady clubman.
Armagh started sluggishly yesterday before roaring back into the game with goals from Mark Shields and Andy Murnin. However, their challenge ran aground in the second half when Down regained the lead and switched to a counter-attacking game that kept the Orchardmen at bay.
“They got the first couple of scores of the second half and it was a bit of a lead to eat into and we were rushing it,” said Toal who side can now concentrate on a 1B Qualifier on the weekend on June 23/24.
“We were panicking, trying to put the ball through a packed defence – which isn’t going to work – rather than trying to draw them out and take our scores.”
He added: “We just didn’t really get going in the second half.
“Even in the first 10-15 minutes they ran-up a four-point lead before we really started, we were very slow coming out of the blocks. Then we weathered the storm and came into the game well.
“At the start of the second half we didn’t take off again, they got the lead. We had plenty of opportunities, simple opportunities, to put the ball over the bar but we didn’t take them. Gradually we just ran out of time. We hit the post on a number of occasions but it was just one of those days.”
Toal started with four Championship debutants yesterday, while Down manager Eamonn Burns gave first starts to Anthony Doherty, Niall Donnelly and Shay Millar.
“We blooded a lot of young players today and they all came up trumps,” said the Down manager who played in 1992, the last time his county beat Armagh.
“We put boys on that had never played for Down, we put on boys that hadn't played for a while and they came up trumps as well.
“I’m delighted with the way the lads played and the senior lads just held the whole thing together. Darren O'Hagan and Peter Turley and these guys were immense.”
Smiling autograph-hunters and well wishers flocked around the Down players well after the final whistle. Burns’ side can look forward to a semi-final against either Cavan or Monaghan in Armagh on June 24.
“It is an important step for the players,” he said.
“They have a lot of self-belief and they have been knocked back over the last couple of years and I am delighted for them.
“Armagh have a lot of good players, a lot of quality in their forward line and I thought we worked really hard and limited their opportunities. We did not dive in, we were very disciplined, tackled hard and got men stopped. Out system worked and we are delighted with that.”
