THE TASK, FOR Kieran McGeeney’s Armagh, was simple.
“Our first target for the game was just to perform on the day and we could forget about the permutations that came with it.
“Kerry are coming to town, they are playing the best football in the country at the minute and they are coming to finish the job. So we had to put in a performance.
“Outside of the first twenty minutes, which was a disaster, we did that.”
You could say all of that twice over. The first twenty minutes left Armagh 0-10 to 0-0 down. But thereafter they outscored Kerry 1-21 to 0-14.
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You’d expect that particular stat to be manipulated and used internally to show just how good this Armagh team – without Rory Grugan, Aidan Forker, Barry McCambridge, Andrew Murnin who might all be ready for the championship.
Such was the frantic nature of the day, some of the key protagonists were unsure of the final outcome. When Jack O’Connor sauntered down the tunnel and said he could give two minutes to the press because of the long spin home, he appeared somewhat apologetic about the locals, believing they had in fact been relegated.
“Great result for us. Unfortunately for Armagh, after those two performances against Dublin and this one, they’re looking to be going down…” he began, before being corrected that Armagh were, indeed, staying up.
Kerry manager Jack O'Connor. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
“I got the wrong information so. I’m delighted with that, though. Armagh didn’t deserve to go down after those last two performances. We were lucky to get our legs out of here lads.
“I really enjoyed the occasion, brilliant atmosphere. Great Armagh crowd and they really got behind their team, so it was a great test.
“We had a brilliant start obviously, but Armagh were always going to come back. Once they got on a bit of a run, they’re a streaky team and with that crowd behind them, they were turbo-charged there after the first 20 or 25 minutes and really tested us.”
And so to the most curious of GAA days, the league final. A repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final. And against Donegal, the only side to beat Kerry in the seven league games this year.
Revenge, Jack?
“I wouldn’t get overexcited about revenge for a league defeat, but it’s another good game for us,” winced the man from Dromid.
“That game today is worth a month’s training. I thought it was played at championship pace, I don’t know what ye thought, but looking at it from the sideline it looked like championship pace.
“It was brilliant to occasion, to come in here with a full house, massive entertainment, sure what’s not to be happy about?”
He won’t be counting in the likes of Tadhg Morley, Tony Brosnan, or Paudie Clifford for Croke Park.
“They won’t be ready yet, no. Tadgh dropped out during the week with a small bit of muscle tightness. Paul Geaney was nearly ready, he just suffered a small bit of a setback. So we’ll just gather ourselves up,” he said.
“Paudie… not quite now. We wouldn’t be chancing him, maybe for a championship game we might but, with the history of injuries he had last year, we just want to be careful with him. I can’t see too many coming back into it, to be honest.”
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When a game is played Hell for leather like this, you don’t want to poop all over it with ‘Only the league, but..’ qualifiers, but as McGeeney concluded, “There were two good teams and some of the scores were top drawer.
“It’s one of those days where I wouldn’t say everybody leaves with a smile on their face, but they’ll look at the mistakes in a more friendly manner. It’s maybe not as friendly if it’s the All-Ireland quarter-finals.”
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'They are playing the best football in the country at the minute' - McGeeney on Kerry
THE TASK, FOR Kieran McGeeney’s Armagh, was simple.
“Our first target for the game was just to perform on the day and we could forget about the permutations that came with it.
“Kerry are coming to town, they are playing the best football in the country at the minute and they are coming to finish the job. So we had to put in a performance.
“Outside of the first twenty minutes, which was a disaster, we did that.”
You could say all of that twice over. The first twenty minutes left Armagh 0-10 to 0-0 down. But thereafter they outscored Kerry 1-21 to 0-14.
You’d expect that particular stat to be manipulated and used internally to show just how good this Armagh team – without Rory Grugan, Aidan Forker, Barry McCambridge, Andrew Murnin who might all be ready for the championship.
Such was the frantic nature of the day, some of the key protagonists were unsure of the final outcome. When Jack O’Connor sauntered down the tunnel and said he could give two minutes to the press because of the long spin home, he appeared somewhat apologetic about the locals, believing they had in fact been relegated.
“Great result for us. Unfortunately for Armagh, after those two performances against Dublin and this one, they’re looking to be going down…” he began, before being corrected that Armagh were, indeed, staying up.
“I got the wrong information so. I’m delighted with that, though. Armagh didn’t deserve to go down after those last two performances. We were lucky to get our legs out of here lads.
“I really enjoyed the occasion, brilliant atmosphere. Great Armagh crowd and they really got behind their team, so it was a great test.
“We had a brilliant start obviously, but Armagh were always going to come back. Once they got on a bit of a run, they’re a streaky team and with that crowd behind them, they were turbo-charged there after the first 20 or 25 minutes and really tested us.”
And so to the most curious of GAA days, the league final. A repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final. And against Donegal, the only side to beat Kerry in the seven league games this year.
Revenge, Jack?
“That game today is worth a month’s training. I thought it was played at championship pace, I don’t know what ye thought, but looking at it from the sideline it looked like championship pace.
“It was brilliant to occasion, to come in here with a full house, massive entertainment, sure what’s not to be happy about?”
He won’t be counting in the likes of Tadhg Morley, Tony Brosnan, or Paudie Clifford for Croke Park.
“They won’t be ready yet, no. Tadgh dropped out during the week with a small bit of muscle tightness. Paul Geaney was nearly ready, he just suffered a small bit of a setback. So we’ll just gather ourselves up,” he said.
“Paudie… not quite now. We wouldn’t be chancing him, maybe for a championship game we might but, with the history of injuries he had last year, we just want to be careful with him. I can’t see too many coming back into it, to be honest.”
When a game is played Hell for leather like this, you don’t want to poop all over it with ‘Only the league, but..’ qualifiers, but as McGeeney concluded, “There were two good teams and some of the scores were top drawer.
“It’s one of those days where I wouldn’t say everybody leaves with a smile on their face, but they’ll look at the mistakes in a more friendly manner. It’s maybe not as friendly if it’s the All-Ireland quarter-finals.”
That’s for certain.
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Armagh final day GAA Geezer jack Kerry