1. Armagh emotion
After no shortage of quarter-final heartbreak, Armagh are in their first All-Ireland senior football semi-final since 2005.
They ended a 19-year wait with yesterday’s 2-12 to 0-12 win over Roscommon, though Kieran McGeeney admitted it was “probably our worst performance in Croke Park” afterwards.
The Orchard manager didn’t think they played well and was unhappy their skills and missed chances against 14-man Roscommon. But it was about much more than that.
“I’m delighted for the fellas, they’ve got the monkey off their back and hopefully they’ll go out the next day and really express themselves… it’s relief.”
This was a whirlwind of emotion, a fluster of feelings.
McGeeney’s uncle, Peter Kelly, died on Friday night. There was a minute’s silence before throw-in at HQ, while Barry McCambridge mentioned “doing it for Geezer” in his Man of the Match winning interview.
“It’s been a tough 24 hours,” McGeeney reflected. “The emotions are a wee bit raw at the minute.
“Mum and Dad didn’t tell me last night. It was only this morning there – it was tragic circumstances. Peter was a good man. His son would be one of my best mates. So this morning was a bit rough to be honest. They were supposed to have a surprise party for his sister tonight.
“He was a great man, a great character. He would have been roaring and shouting at the TV. It’s one of those days. There were four brothers on My mum’s side – they all played. Raymond would have played for Armagh. Peter and Pat would have hit you harder than the other two but they always followed us over the years, especially myself. We’d great support from all the Kelly household. A close family. It’s a tough day.”
2. Roscommon’s ‘horror show’
“You couldn’t dream of that kind of horror script” were Davy Burke’s first words in his post-match interview. The Rossies’ manager later called it a “horror show”.
He rued the early losses of David Murray and Ultan Harney, who were both forced off in the opening 15 minutes through injury. The Rossies were yet to score at that stage. Conor Cox got them off the mark two minutes later, but it was a dour opening half.
“And then Ruaidhrí (Fallon) gone on a red [card] before half-time, on the back of three weeks in-a-row, and Armagh are a good side,” Burke added. “They’re very conditioned.”
Ultimately, the sending-off wasn’t a major issue, he admitted, and the Kildare man was pleased to only be two points down at the break (1-3 to 0-4) after a bucketload of missed chances. Roscommon levelled matters shortly after the restart but couldn’t kick on; their shooting efficiency “very poor” and their forwards failing to click.
“Is it the legs catching up on them? Is it the intensity? Is it the emotion? Whatever it was, it just didn’t go for them,” Burke reflected.
Armagh’s second goal was a killer as Conor Turbitt made it 2-8 to 0-8 in the 52nd minute. “It turned the game. If we didn’t concede that goal, it was going to the wire. Ultimately, their conditioning took over and that was it.”
The end of the road for 2024, but Burke wants to stay on next year. The situation in his native county is worth keeping an eye on, though.
3. Preliminary quarter-final future
Burke repeatedly revisited the three weeks on the trot theme afterwards. He bemoaned the tight turnaround for the preliminary quarter-final winners.
Last weekend, Roscommon emptied the tank as they turned Tyrone over in Omagh, while Armagh had the opportunity to rest the legs as group winners. The debate is eternal: freshness or momentum? Burke called on the GAA to give teams an extra week to prepare, or to scrap the preliminary quarter-finals altogether.
“We need to find a week somewhere to give us a chance. Even though I felt we had a chance, don’t get me wrong. But just the way the game transpired and went away from us… we have to find a week.
“It’s only a week, just to give the last-12 teams a chance. Or else do away with the last-12, one or the other. It’s going to be very tricky for ourselves, Galway, Derry and Louth. They need to find a week or do away with it.”
Generally, preliminary quarter-final winners have gone on to lose, but Galway turned the tables in yesterday’s second game as they knocked Dublin out. This blows the Sam Maguire race wide open, with the semi-final draw due to take place after Donegal v Louth and Kerry v Derry this evening.
4. Armagh ‘not favourites’ in last four
While Roscommon struggle with “white-line fever,” Armagh finally got over that line and now take a “big step” into the last four. It will be interesting to see who they come up against. The plan is to avoid repeat pairings, but an open draw may be necessary. (They, for one, have already played Galway, Donegal and Derry.)
“Listen, we know no matter who we play – we will not be sort of favourite,” McGeeney concluded.
“There are huge expectations in Armagh. They are football-mad and that can be good and bad. Sometimes we might think above our station at times but this is a good team. They have shown that over the last number of years. We are not saying they are the best team out there at the moment but they are definitely a good team.
“I really do hope despite what everybody out there might think we push them to go forward as often as possible. The way football is played now it is hard to break things down. Relish the opportunity, enjoy it, don’t get too many of these. We have some class footballers and hope we will see them out there on a good day and really go at it.”
