All-Ireland Senior Football Championship round 4B Qualifier
Armagh v Kildare
Today, 7pm, Croke Park
Live on Sky Sports Main Event
IN each of the first five years under Kieran McGeeney, Kildare would find themselves in this round four qualifier, off some kind of psychological blow in Leinster, and they would find a way back into the last eight.
On the sixth and final occasion, they traded blows with Tyrone to the very death in a round three game, losing by two.
Was the squad he had worthy of the standing to which he brought them? Probably not.
Mullaghbawn’s finest never got the credit he deserved for helping a county whose history is laced with underachievement punch consistently above their station.
There was rancour over how it ended for him but what it did was facilitate an inevitable return home under Paul Grimley.
After a year in the wings, McGeeney was the natural successor and some day, this game was going to end up on his plate.
How far he has brought Armagh in his three years in sole charge remains a topic of debate. Eight weeks ago he was under enormous pressure after losing to Down, his record of one Championship win over lowly Wicklow became a huge stick with which to beat him.
And now here they are in the last 12, having displayed those same powers of recovery that Kildare showed in each of his six years down there.
They can’t both have got it off the trees.
As a footballing side, their progression from year two to year three has been easily the most notable.
In last year’s Championship they looked completely devoid of any kind of attacking structure. It showed, and they paid for it.
The grip strength let them down during this year’s League when trying to clasp to leads, but the signs were there. Then they went out against Down and having looked in control, they contrived to produce a horror 35 minutes in front of goal and lose the derby. Down went on to an Ulster final and Armagh, it seemed, were back on the road to nowhere.
It might only be by two hours, it might be by longer or indeed, it might not be at all, but the Orchard could now outlast their rivals in this year’s Championship. That in itself seems like success.
Their performance in Tipperary was by far their best summertime display of McGeeney’s reign. A recipe of resilience and quality, as well as some dainty composure from Jamie Clarke, was enough to squeeze them out of Thurles past last year’s All-Ireland semi-finalists.
Are Armagh yet in the bracket where they can have eyes, serious or otherwise, on an All-Ireland challenge? Well, no. But then neither are Kildare. Yet.
The Leinster final taught us much about the Lilywhites, who within four years have re-hatched from the McGeeney image and bear practically no resemblance to what he left behind, in either personnel or style.
That team could have won All-Ireland with a bit of luck but they were a side fortified by physical power, as was the style at the time.
The Armagh team that he sends out in Croke Park tonight can look like a none-too-distant cousin of that Kildare side.
Donaghy, Vernon, Forker, Grimley, Rafferty, Murnin, McParland – these are big lads. They hit you, you’ll stay hit.
Yet on a huge surface in Semple Stadium, they fronted up to a Tipperary side that has troublesome pace in areas and they got the better of it.
When Michael Quinlivan hit the net, Armagh drew straight back off them and found the hurt within themselves from the robbery in April to keep coming.
Jamie Clarke got all the credit for the Armagh goal but Stephen Sheridan dipping into his oxygen reserves to turn defence into attack at that late stage was every bit as impressive in its own way.
In Sheridan and Grimley they’ve belatedly found a solid midfield partnership. If there’s one thing Armagh would surely change about the loss to Down it would be leaving Grimley out of the starting fifteen. His response to that has been brilliant.
They have a massive job tonight. Kevin Feely is arguably the country’s in-form midfielder and goalkeeper Mark Donnellan rarely misses him. Feely took eight kickouts against Dublin and with Tommy Moolick, they have arguably a more formidable partnership still.
It was the platform off which they built 1-17 in the Leinster final. The offset was conceding 2-23 and Cian O’Neill will no doubt have spent the last 13 days putting the two ends of his plan through marriage counselling.
Eoin Doyle’s absence is significant in that regard. Fergal Conway is most likely to drop into defence with Paul Cribbin coming into the attack.
Kildare have been exceptionally brave – some might say foolish – in their approach this summer. They went man-for-man against the All-Ireland champions and, unlike 85 per cent of teams out there, they got out without their year reaching the point of no return.
The relatively positive mindframe they’ll have salvaged could be enough to propel them on, but only if they only a bit more help to an over-worked full-back line.
There is the lack of an obvious natural opponent for Andrew Murnin in there too. Armagh have had joy from the direct option to the St Paul’s man and the plan could properly ripen with the right service in Croke Park.
With Gregory McCabe injured, Mark Shields returns to defence, while Anto Duffy comes in alongside Ethan Rafferty in a heavily altered half-forward division. That lack of continuity could work against their attacking play.
Kildare’s ace card is their sheer speed. They may lack some of the elements required to really challenge for an All-Ireland but one thing they have to match any of the top sides is pace.
It’s everywhere, from David Hyland at full-back to Daniel Flynn at full-forward. Keith Cribbin is electric. The brother Paul too. David Slattery needs serious watching, though if Derek O’Mahony is sharp on blowing steps then he might struggle.
Cathal McNally and Flynn inside are formidable and you might even see Paddy Brophy that bit closer to goal than in the Leinster decider, having netted when he moved inside very late on.
It’s effectively power against pace tonight. The latter is the one in vogue and Kildare have enough of it to cover their defensive frailties for another round at least.
The Lilies by four.
Man of the moment
Daniel Flynn
THE GAA/GPA player of the month for June, he further bolstered his growing reputation with a few moments of brilliance against Dublin two weeks ago. His score from the sideline beneath the Hogan Stand will long be remembered. His brilliance in winning a Hogan Cup with Edenderry in 2012, he tried his hand at the AFL when he moved to Port Adelaide but returned home in 2014, citing homesickness. It’s taken him time to readjust and develop, with his 1-3 against Laois kick-starting the summer in his first Championship start for almost four years. But at just 23, the Johnstownbridge man is one of the leading young stars on this blossoming Kildare side. A blend of pace and ability off either foot will pose problems for the Armagh defence.
Team talk
Armagh: B Hughes; J Morgan, C Vernon, P Hughes; M Shields, B Donaghy, A Forker; S Sheridan, N Grimley; E Rafferty, A Duffy, R Grugan; J Clarke, A Murnin, G McParland
TWO changes for Kieran McGeeney, and a slight reshuffle within that. Ethan Rafferty and Anto Duffy are both named to start in the half-forward line, with Ciaran O’Hanlon and the injured Gregory McCabe the two that will drop out. Mark Shields returns to the half-back line after a spell in the forwards, allowing Duffy and Rafferty to slot into an attacking line-up. There is still no starting place for Stefan Campbell though, with McGeeney sticking with the trio of Jamie Clarke, Andrew Murnin and Gavin McParland that has served him well on this run.
Kildare (probable): M Donnellan; M O’Grady, D Hyland, O Lyons; K Cribbin, F Conway, J Byrne; K Feely, T Moolick; D Slattery, N Kelly, P Cribbin; C McNally, D Flynn, P Brophy
CIAN O’Neill revealed after the Leinster final defeat by Dublin that captain and sweeper Eoin Doyle had played through a broken thumb and surgery would most likely rule him out of this Qualifier. His place is likely to be taken by the fit-again Paul Cribbin, who would play at half-forward with Fergal Conway most likely dropping back. The in-form Kevin Feely’s successful appeal against his black card suspension is a major boost. Paddy Brophy is again named inside but will continue as a third midfielder.
Armagh tactical take
FOR most of his first two years in charge Kieran McGeeney was criticised for having his team play too defensively. They have gone on the offensive this term and, to a degree, it has been very effective. Their policy of trying to play with an orthodox six forwards, and three inside a lot of the time, has paid dividend in terms of scoring return. Their second half display against Tipperary was gutsy in its manner. They have had great joy from Andrew Murnin and the Kildare defence does not look blessed with a natural foil for his aerial ability. If they can service him with enough decent ball, there will be scores off that. But their own defensive openness could backfire on them.
Kildare tactical take
WITH captain Eoin Doyle missing, Kildare are robbed of the organiser of their defence. But his performance against Dublin, when he played with a broken thumb, was beneath par. That they went toe-to-toe with the best attacking team of a generation is a sure sign that they won’t back down now. Armagh will have to front up and win a lot of individual battles if they are to prevent a seriously pacy Kildare attack from cutting them open. Paddy Brophy operating as a third midfielder will mean Armagh may have to look for the short kickout more often than they’ve been of late.
Key battle
Niall Grimley v Kevin Feely
IF the GAA’s Allstar system wasn’t based half on reaching an All-Ireland semi-final and half on reputation, these two would be well in the mix for midfield gongs at this stage. Dropping Grimley for the Down game was a huge mistake but he has bit back brilliantly since, leading the Armagh charge not only in the aerial stakes but in his score-taking. Feely, though, has been arguably the best midfielder in Ireland so far this summer. The mark has really allowed him to flourish and he has the most incredible knack of reading the ball’s flight and taking it on his fingertips. Allowing him to dominate would be catastrophic for the Orchard.
Weather watch
THERE’S plenty of rain forecast for earlier in the day but it will hopefully have cleared by the time the first game is over, if not before it. Croke Park’s pitch can be greasy at the best of times, though U2 might have seen to the hardening of the Hill 16 end again.
Last meeting
2010 National Football League Division Two: Armagh 0-12 Kildare 0-5
CROSSMAGLEN has rarely been a happy hunting ground for men from Mullaghbawn and Dromintee, and so it proved again for Kieran McGeeney and Aidan O’Rourke.
The Kildare management made five substitutions and also a series of switches to their forwards but could do nothing to prevent their native county inflicting a comprehensive defeat on their team.
Stefan Forker and Stevie McDonnell did most of the damage with four points apiece, the former standing out with all his scores coming from play.
Indeed the Maghery lad, called up for the injured Ronan Clarke, outscored Kildare in that regard.
However, Armagh’s attack wasn’t the area that really impressed.
The hosts’ defensive display was one that ‘Geezer’ and O’Rourke would certainly have been proud of as players themselves, and also bore the hallmarks of the men in charge of the Orchard County – Paddy O’Rourke, Donal Murtagh, and Justin McNulty.
Previous Championship meetings
N/A
Previous League meetings
2010 NFL Division Two: Armagh 0-12 Kildare 0-5
2009 NFL Division Two: Kildare 1-10 Armagh 1-12
2007 NFL Division One: Armagh 0-10 Kildare 0-12
2006 NFL Division One: Armagh 0-10 Kildare 0-12
2005 NFL Division One: Armagh 2-8 Kildare 1-10
Who’s the ref?
Derek O’Mahoney
THE Tipperary official recently drew the wrath of Meath manager Andy McEntee after he presided over their one-point Qualifier defeat by Donegal. McEntee, angered by a number of decision he felt had gone against his side, said at the time: “It seems like the bigger you are, the bigger star you are and the more influence you put on the referee, the more it works out in your favour.” Was in the middle when Kildare’s campaign ended last year against Mayo, with the level of physical contact he allowed working against the Lilywhites that day.
Betting box
Armagh 9/4
Draw 9/1
Kildare 4/9
Handicap
Armagh (+2) 13/10
Draw (+2) 17/2
Kildare (-2) 8/11
First goalscorer
Jamie Clarke 13/2
Paddy Brophy 7/1
Daniel Flynn 7/1
