Nicky Rackard Cup Group B:
Armagh v Tyrone (today, Athletic Grounds, 1.30pm)
ULSTER rivals Armagh and Tyrone launch their Nickey Rackard Cup challenge at the Athletic Grounds today, the second meeting of these neighbours in the space of a fortnight.
The Orchardmen came out on top in the NHL Division 3A clash at the same venue, where a high-scoring encounter provided an abundance of entertainment, despite the fact it was a dead rubber.
There’s much more at stake today, with a semi-final spot up for grabs, with the loser progressing to a quarter-final.
This is the only game in the two-team group, while the other section is played on a round robin bases involving Donegal, Mayo and Leitrim, a system that puzzles Armagh manager Padraig O’Connor.
“I can’t figure out why they didn’t have a section of five, and everybody have four games. It could be run off on five weekends,” he suggested.
Fiontann Donnelly scored 13 points from frees in the League encounter, while Tyrone’s Damian Casey is equally prolific from dead balls, and the pair will have a big say in the outcome this afternoon.
But Red Hand boss Michael McShane is concerned at the scoring opportunities that were wasted during the League.
“We scored 2-19 against Armagh. If we sharpen up on our shooting, we should be hitting 2-25 or 2-26, and that would be enough to win games,” he said.
“We need to do more work on that, but the League had given us good foundation, we have a real feelgood factor in the team, the training is good, there’s a buzz about the training and the lads are working hard for each other.”
McShane believes his team has made progress through the League, despite failing to gain promotion.
“I think, as the League has gone through, the team has got better,” he said.
“The players have taken on board what we have been trying to talk to them about in training during the week.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day. It’s going to take time for players to get used to what we want them to do, to get rid of bad habits.”
He accepts that the odds are stacked against Tyrone in a competition that features strong teams from a higher division.
“The Rackard Cup is going to be very difficult to win, because Donegal and Mayo are in it, and they’re both operating at Division 2B level. And Donegal won the Rackard Cup last year,” he said.
“But we’re only thinking of the next game ahead of us, which is Armagh. If we win that, we’ll be playing either Mayo or Donegal in the semi-final, and we’ll see where we’re at.”
Meanwhile, Armagh boss O’Connor anticipates another close contest between two teams that have been difficult to separate in recent seasons.
“I don’t expect there will be much in it either way, that’s the way in the recent past,” he said.
“They scored heavily, we scored heavily the last day, and it seemed to be just tit for tat, but we just managed to pull away at the end, we were lucky enough.”
