Derry V Armagh,Sat March 10th

[screenexile]

I've watched Clark a few times and at this moment in time he is the best forward in Ireland and unmarkable.  So Derry's best hope is to try and make sure the ball going in to him is not good quality.  Armagh will be well motivated to win this game and the mental strength of the Brian's boys will be tested to the full.  That said there performances against Laois and Wexford were top class, but in an all-Ulster clash it's a different ball game. So I'm going for a hard fought draw and plethora of yellow cards.

Jamie is only as good as the ball going into him... he was playing in 2011 and wasn't able to do much when the rest of the team were struggling so badly.

[qubdub]

I'd expect Derry to win this by a point or two. Armagh are suspect at the back and inconsistent in midfield.

[ranch]

I'd fancy Derry to win comfortably. Hope I'm wrong.

[naka]

armagh team announced at 9.30
gavin mc parland should get a shout as has been training tonite

[Throw ball]

Armagh team named

McAvoy
Morgan Donnelly McKenna
Kernan Donaghy McKeever
Lavery Harold
Dyas Hanratty Rafferty
Clarke Forker McParland

[naka]

decent side
i would see 3 in midfield
4 cross boys most playing for a while

[Walter Cronc]

Derry v Armagh:

Thomas Mallon (Loup); Gerard O'Kane (Glenullin), Chrissy McKaigue (Slaughtneil), Dermot McBride (Ballinascreen); Charlie Kielt (Kilrea), Mark Lynch (Banagher) (capt), Sean Leo McGoldrick (Eoghan Rua); Patsy Bradley (Slaughtneil), PJ McCloskey (Banagher); Barry McGoldrick (Eoghan Rua), James Kielt (Kilrea), Enda Lynn (Greenlough); Benny Heron (Ballinascreen), Emmett McGuckin (Magherafelt), Lee Kennedy (Kilrea)

Substitutes: Eoin McNicholl (Glenullin), Aidan McAlynn (Loup), Carlus McWilliams (Ballinascreen), Philip Bradley (Ballinascreen), Declan Brown (Bellaghy), Bliain Gormley (Craigbane), Raymond Wilkinson (Ballinderry), Daniel Heavron (Magherafelt), Ryan Bell (Ballinderry), Gavin Mallon (Loup), Ciaran McFaul (Glen)

[regal]

Armagh team named

McAvoy
Morgan Donnelly McKenna
Kernan Donaghy McKeever
Lavery Harold
Dyas Hanratty Rafferty
Clarke Forker McParland

The Armagh team is (as expected) getting stronger as each league game passes. It's great to see Morgan starting and I would prefer to see Hanratty in midfield. The full forward line is full of talent but I doubt if the midfield will win enough ball to get a decent supply of ball into them.

I would say Armagh are probably missing amallon / aforker / toner / aduffy from their championship xv, whereas derry are probably playing 13/14 of their championship xv.

Where is skinner?

[mackers]

Armagh team named

McAvoy
Morgan Donnelly McKenna
Kernan Donaghy McKeever
Lavery Harold
Dyas Hanratty Rafferty
Clarke Forker McParland

The Armagh team is (as expected) getting stronger as each league game passes. It's great to see Morgan starting and I would prefer to see Hanratty in midfield. The full forward line is full of talent but I doubt if the midfield will win enough ball to get a decent supply of ball into them.

I would say Armagh are probably missing amallon / aforker / toner / aduffy from their championship xv, whereas derry are probably playing 13/14 of their championship xv.

Where is skinner?

I would agree with your first paragraph.  It is the strongest Armagh team to take to the field this year, still some fairly obvious weaknesses but it'll be interesting to see how they get on.  As you say doubts remain over how much ball our midfield can get for a fairly potent forward line. IF we can get a decent supply into the forward line we could do some damage.
However, I wouldn't be certain that Anto Duffy can be listed as a starter for championship.  For me he has not done anything to say he should definitely start ahead of any of our HF line taking to the field on Saturday night.  I have a bad feeling that we won't be see Andy Mallon come May, I hope I'm wrong.  I would put Charlie Vernon in on your list of missing players who could improve the team listed for this match, maybe Paul McKeown also.
If our midfield lose their battle then a couple of missing links in our defence could be really exposed.

[Orior]

The full back line is betting better, but I'd much prefer to see Donaghy in front of the keeper.

I was never convinced about Paul McKeown until the last couple of Rangers' matches where he was very good. Unfortunately he is injured.

[Orior]

The BBC website is describing this as a derby. Eh?

Surely they need touching borders to be a derby. Does a point in Lough Neagh equal a border?

[BennyCake]

The BBC website is describing this as a derby. Eh?

Surely they need touching borders to be a derby. Does a point in Lough Neagh equal a border?

Apparently, Armagh and Derry don't share a border, even via Lough Neagh. So, no it's probably not considered a derby as such.

[bennydorano]

Vernon is  good to go, imagine he'll see some game time.

[Wildweasel74]

Derry near 13/14 of their starting team, thats a good one, there were men playing last week i haven't even seen play before. I say Derry likely 6 off their starting team, but these days its hard to work out what their best starting team is

[armaghniac]

With Jamie heading off to Australia, this might be as good a team as we have in the League. But still probably not good enough.