Allianz National Football League Division Two: Clare v Armagh (today, Ennis, 2pm)
A WIN last week and Armagh were promoted. “It’ll be very un-Armagh-like if it’s as straightforward as that,” predicted a veteran supporter of the county and he was proved right.
Armagh don’t tend to do things the easy way. A second half collapse (not the first of this topsy-turvy campaign) against Roscommon at the Athletic Grounds means the Orchardmen have to win in Ennis today to clinch promotion when, with the resources available to them, they really should be home and hosed by now.
When their system has clicked – like it did against Cavan and Fermanagh – Kieran McGeeney’s men have looked like thoroughbreds well suited to a place in the top flight. But too often this season it hasn’t and Armagh have looked like one-trick-ponies who’ve been unable to adapt when opponents have worked them out.
Last Saturday, Roscommon made little headway kicking the ball to their forwards but when they started to run at the jittery Armagh defence it was a different story. The Rossies won by four but it could have been more.
Meanwhile, Clare (six points) sit sixth in the table but they are also on the fringe of the promotion hunt and will overtake Armagh (who need a draw to seal promotion) with victory today. They are threatened with relegation too, so victory is vital for Colm Collins and his men.
The Bannermen won last week but on the face of it, a two-point home victory against a Fermanagh side in turmoil is nothing to shout about. However, it included a late penalty for the Ernemen and Clare actually finished with a stronger line-up than they started with thanks to the introductions of Sean and Podge Collins, Gary Brennan and David Tubridy.
“We finished with a strong line-up and got some game time into them so we were happy-out with the win,” manager Colm Collins told The Irish News this week.
“The performance was poor but in Division Two you thank God for the two points and move on. Both teams have an amazing amount to play for on Saturday, it’s a real crunch match and if you’d told us at the start of the League that it would be down to this game we’d have been delighted with that.”
Although the Championship is just around the corner, neither county can afford to go anything less than all-in this afternoon. Tubridy scored 1-1 in injury-time (including an amazing sideline ball goal) to earn Clare a draw when these counties met in Newry last year. He’d also found the Armagh net in 2018 but the Orchardmen rallied with 1-4 at the finish to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the Qualifiers.
“What’s the most important game? It’s the next game you play in,” said Collins.
“All we’re looking at is Armagh and nothing else. We’ve had a couple of great games between us – last year we probably stole a point in Newry and then the previous one in the Qualifier we were in a winning position but we didn’t see it home.
“We’ve had fine battles and they’re a good side managed by an absolute legend and I see another tough but we’ll give it everything.”
Armagh are capable of getting the result they need but, with the way they have been playing, they might have to win this twice because of their tendency to switch off in games and let good positions slip.
McGeeney has named an unchanged side but there could yet be changes because against Roscommon the tackling in defence was poor and their forwards lost their way in the second half. Defeat will mean there's a harsh truth to face so a whistle-to-whistle performance will be required this afternoon. If Armagh produce it, they can look forward to Division One next year.
