AS THE DUST settled on the conclusion of Armagh’s summer, Kieran McGeeney tried to make sense of things.
They scored 2-1 in stoppage-time at the end of normal-time to force extra-time when a Galway victory looked inevitable.
After Jemar Hall nudged Armagh one ahead in the 89th minute, Armagh appeared on the verge of victory. Then Cillian McDaid popped up with a booming equaliser to send us to a shoot-out, where the Tribesmen prevailed.
“It’s just the way sport is. It’s cruel,” said a pensive McGeeney after the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final exit.
“Going to replays and stuff is not fair on supporters either, the way things are. Coming to Dublin is an expensive thing to do.
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“It’s not ideal to do it. It’s a pure lottery. You would have put your house on Soupy and we had been practising penalties because we knew it was going to happen in some game.
“But to hit the side of the post… Ethan could have had two of them very easily, that’s the way it goes. It was in the lap of the Gods.
“It’s cruel on them. Tough on the boys in there and you feel for them, you really do, but it’s a tough mistress. That’s why I have all the grey hair.”
He admitted Armagh will have regrets after underperforming for long spells.
“They can play much better,” he said.
“We probably had a few injuries coming into it. But we had three or four still out of it. The panel is strong but I do think there is more in them.
“Armagh is a great football county, it is tough to stay up there with the rest of them. But sometimes we can get a wee bit carried away with our history. Our team won seven Ulsters and one All-Ireland and we won seven outside of that.
“It’s a tough ask to get up to the top, it takes a couple of years. But the group out there, I’ll be honest with you, they are better footballers than we ever were. But you need a wee bit of luck.
“I read today about the Sligo quarter-final, it’s funny, the year we won it, we had luck hanging out of us. The years before against Kerry and Meath, and even after, we went the other way.
“You just need that bit of luck. Cillian McDaid, that point there was a screamer. I remember Kevin Cassidy doing something like that in a quarter-final here against Donegal. Some days you just cannot do much about those.”
Asked if he felt he was an unlucky manager, McGeeney replied: “No. I am probably the luckiest.
“The fellas I have had over the years have been good lads. Real good lads. You can get a ball of bees, that are hard to deal with. I have been very lucky in that respect. I have good people around me. I like bringing in people who argue with me which doesn’t help the grey hair, but they are strong individuals.
“And I have strong players. I have got to as many quarter-finals as most managers out there. It’s just getting that wee kick. It’s just a bit of luck. I am not saying I am a good manager, I enjoy it. I love football, I love my county and I love the GAA. Not always reciprocated, but it is definitely a passion.”
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McGeeney philosophical after Armagh's 'cruel' championship exit
AS THE DUST settled on the conclusion of Armagh’s summer, Kieran McGeeney tried to make sense of things.
They scored 2-1 in stoppage-time at the end of normal-time to force extra-time when a Galway victory looked inevitable.
After Jemar Hall nudged Armagh one ahead in the 89th minute, Armagh appeared on the verge of victory. Then Cillian McDaid popped up with a booming equaliser to send us to a shoot-out, where the Tribesmen prevailed.
“It’s just the way sport is. It’s cruel,” said a pensive McGeeney after the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final exit.
“Going to replays and stuff is not fair on supporters either, the way things are. Coming to Dublin is an expensive thing to do.
“It’s not ideal to do it. It’s a pure lottery. You would have put your house on Soupy and we had been practising penalties because we knew it was going to happen in some game.
“But to hit the side of the post… Ethan could have had two of them very easily, that’s the way it goes. It was in the lap of the Gods.
“It’s cruel on them. Tough on the boys in there and you feel for them, you really do, but it’s a tough mistress. That’s why I have all the grey hair.”
He admitted Armagh will have regrets after underperforming for long spells.
“They can play much better,” he said.
“We probably had a few injuries coming into it. But we had three or four still out of it. The panel is strong but I do think there is more in them.
“Armagh is a great football county, it is tough to stay up there with the rest of them. But sometimes we can get a wee bit carried away with our history. Our team won seven Ulsters and one All-Ireland and we won seven outside of that.
“It’s a tough ask to get up to the top, it takes a couple of years. But the group out there, I’ll be honest with you, they are better footballers than we ever were. But you need a wee bit of luck.
“I read today about the Sligo quarter-final, it’s funny, the year we won it, we had luck hanging out of us. The years before against Kerry and Meath, and even after, we went the other way.
“You just need that bit of luck. Cillian McDaid, that point there was a screamer. I remember Kevin Cassidy doing something like that in a quarter-final here against Donegal. Some days you just cannot do much about those.”
Asked if he felt he was an unlucky manager, McGeeney replied: “No. I am probably the luckiest.
“The fellas I have had over the years have been good lads. Real good lads. You can get a ball of bees, that are hard to deal with. I have been very lucky in that respect. I have good people around me. I like bringing in people who argue with me which doesn’t help the grey hair, but they are strong individuals.
“And I have strong players. I have got to as many quarter-finals as most managers out there. It’s just getting that wee kick. It’s just a bit of luck. I am not saying I am a good manager, I enjoy it. I love football, I love my county and I love the GAA. Not always reciprocated, but it is definitely a passion.”
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Kieran McGeeney Armagh Unlucky