All-Ireland SFC qualifiers round three: Armagh v Clare (Athletic Grounds, 3pm today)
"YOU get the best out of fellas when they’re enjoying it, though I suppose there was no great enjoyment in Killarney." Clare boss Colm Collins acknowledged the awfulness of their 22-point defeat to Kerry but both he and Armagh know there's much more to the Banner footballers than that tanking.
For one thing, the reason why Armagh were handed home advantage is because Clare were playing at a higher League level than the Orchardmen, finishing third in Division Two - although questions have been asked about the standard of that division given the subsequent Championship results of most of its participants.
For a few more, consider the quality forwards Clare can call upon - Jamie Malone, Eoin Cleary, Keelan Sexton, and David Tubridy among them. That attacking talent explains why Clare won't - or can't - try to sit tight and counter-attack this afternoon, according to Collins: “You’ve got to play the game to suit the players. I like fellas to enjoy playing football, to go to play to win.
"Maybe if I was dealt a hand of players that were defensively minded, I’d have to change and play like that, but at the moment we try and play a game to suit the players we have rather than enforce something else on them. Alan [Flynn, coach] would be of the same opinion I think."
This was another venue under discussion but perhaps Clare and Collins shouldn't really have complained about having to head north because Armagh had been in Division Three. After all, the Banner boys have been good on their travels.
This year they have already won in county Armagh (mostly), defeating Down at Pairc Esler, and in 'the Park' in Cork, as well as going to the Gaelic Grounds (Limerick) and Tullamore (Offaly) to earn Championship victories. Admittedly they were hammered in Meath and Kerry, but they only lost by two points in Roscommon.
Sure, they made hard work of it against Offaly, having to battled hard for a two-point win, 1-19 to 2-14, in Tullamore, where Armagh won by six in the League.
Yet a team that troubled Mayo at the same stage of the Championship last year, leading by five points before eventually losing by seven, is capable of causing Armagh serious problems. Their midfield pairing of Gary Brennan and Cathal O'Connor is strong, and their wing-backs are good going forward, even if their defence is not so good under pressure, looking very open against Offaly.
Armagh's wins have come against Division Three teams, Westmeath and Sligo, albeit both fairly convincingly, so this is a step up for both sides.
Having said all that, Collins realises Armagh shouldn't be judged by their one Championship loss so far, the 0-12 to 0-7 slump in Fermanagh, saying: "They seemed to have a fierce off-day the first day they played championship, and since then they’ve been putting up some good displays and good scores. The first day was just one of those days they’d like to forget about, I’d think."
Indeed Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney has been talking up his squad, believing that they can challenge at higher levels, starting at Division Two next year:
“We have a core group now in Armagh that really want to go on, and I do think they’ll form the basis of a good team that will challenge. We’ve good U20s, we’ve eight of them in [with the seniors] this year, although you had to give them a good shot at their own age group.
“There are two or three of them we’d have been using only they were with the U20 group. They’re doing well, they’ve trained hard with us all year. There is light at the end of the tunnel with these boys and Division Two will be a good learning curve from them as well.
“We have learnt a lot, it is continuous learning. Regardless of what happens this year, I’d be very proud of the bunch of fellas that are here."
'Geezer' believes Armagh have made impressive overall progress in testing circumstances this season: “We had a good run last year but then to lose seven or eight of those players, and then for most of the League to lose another three or four on top of that from the starting team, and still to compete – and not just compete, but win the division, is impressive.
“OK, we didn’t turn up against Fermanagh, but the group has trained really hard and I couldn’t ask any more of them. They’ve had one bad day, they may have another bad day over the summer at some stage, but they work really hard, they’re here for Armagh, they give their all for it. I think they will form the core basis of a very strong Armagh team in the future."
With Stephen Sheridan and Niall Grimley pushing for starting slots after strong showings off the bench in Sligo, and skipper Rory Grugan in fine form, this season should not finish today for the hosts.
Armagh won the only previous senior meeting, by 3-11 to 1-11 in Ennis in the 2015 Division Three, and are fancied to add another victory - but bringing down the Banner won't be easy.
Paths to round three:
ARMAGH
Ulster SFC quarter-final: Fermanagh 0-12 Armagh 0-7
All-Ireland SFC qualifiers round one: Westmeath 1-11 Armagh 3-16
All-Ireland SFC qualifiers round two: Sligo 1-13 Armagh 1-19
CLARE
Munster SFC quarter-final: Limerick 0-14 Clare 1-23
Munster SFC semi-final: Kerry 0-32 Clare 0-10
All-Ireland SFC qualifiers round two: Offaly 2-14 Clare 1-19
THREE - the number of Armagh players who lined out against Clare in Ennis three years ago in the League in Division Three who are likely to be involved again from the throw-in today: Charlie Vernon, Mark Shields, and Aidan Forker. Brendan Donaghy, Andrew Murnin, and Gavin McParland all came off the bench during that 3-11 to 1-11 win at Cusack Park.
