Armagh out of cup

ARMAGH missed out on a Dr McKenna Cup semi-final spot when they lost to Fermanagh last Sunday at the Athletic Grounds.

Keeping to his promise to give all his squad match time, new boss Paddy O’Rourke made several changes to the team who had beaten Monaghan. Andy Mallon and Paul Duffy started in the wing-back positions alongside the imposing Kieran Toner.

James Lavery partnered Malachy Mackin at midfield but the attack, despite impressing in approach play, faltered in the final third before Steven McDonnell arrived in the 49th minute to shoot a goal and three points. This contribution was to no avail, however, as the visitors secured a two points win through late scores from O’Brian and Raherty.

Armagh will now concentrate on the National League and the Ulster Championship, but even at this early stage the odds would be long on the Orchard reaching the business end of the All-Ireland in September.

The return of captain Ciaran McKeever will, of course, be a plus but serious concerns are being raised by supporters surrounding the confidence of goalkeeper Paul Hearty who was caught cold for what proved to be a crucial Fermanagh goal from Ryan Jones whose attempt at a point on 28 minutes dipped just under the bar.

Before the introduction of Steven McDonnell, Mal Mackin was the only Armagh player to have scored from play. McDonnell’s goal spoke volumes about his craft and skill, with the knock-down coming from Ronan Clarke.

Ring rustiness and January’s fundamental failings impeded both teams, but some top-class fielding from Clan na Gael’s Ronan Austin steadied the ship in the last quarter.

One obvious, but important, observation would be the concerns arising around Armagh’s poor point-scoring record in recent years with the team, on many occasions, scoring just nine or 10 points per game.

Many supporters who ventured to the county ground last Sunday would have left wondering whether or not the team actually have the players to sustain a challenge in 2010, but the faith of the manager remains strong.

O’Rourke said: “Steven McDonnell made a big difference when coming on. We have a number of players who have been impressive over the past few games.

“There are plenty of good forwards in Armagh, so things can improve”.