Armagh v Westmeath

[Tyrones own]

Does the Derry result keep Armagh in Div 2 then?

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Aye that's Armagh in division 2 with the exact same record as we had last year. We ended up the best team in ulster in 06 so hopefully it'll be the same this year.

We were fortunate enough to win by 4 points. Dodgy Westmeath goalkeeping handed Stevie his second goal. To be honest we were lucky enough to get out of Cross with the win at all (as we were in the other 2 victorys). We should have had Westmeath dead and buried int he first half after missing 2 or 3 gilt edged goal chances in the first half but going on only 3 down at the break, Westmeath rallied and some excellent scores from Dessie Dolan could have inspired them to victory.

Again we're over reliant on Stevie, think he musta scored at least 2-3 today. Great to Marsden back to something approaching his best, if he can keep improving over the next month he'll be a real asset come Donegal. Lavery did some fine fielding at midfield before being taken off and Aaron Kernan had a good game, scored a mgnificent point int he first half and got a crucial late score.

Loughran was poor at full forward. Untill Clarke comes back, this will likely be Armagh's problem position. Oisin scored a great point within a minute of coming on but was quite int he second half although this probably had more to do with the lack of ball coming in. Thought we were very pedestrian for long periods of the second half and were lucky to get away with it. Still a lot of improvement needed before Donegal. Loughran and McKeever especially were very poor today and I really doubt if bringing Stephen Kernan on will be the answer. Still if we can get C McKeever and Andy Mallon back for DOnegal that should tighten up the backs rightly and hopefully Stevie, Diarmaid and Oisin can produce the scores between them. Anybody got any idea of the chances of Brian Mallon and Ronan Clarke seeing much c'ship action? I know Ronan said int he Gaelic Life he was aiming for the Donegal match and I'd thought his was the more serious injury of the two?

[armaghniac]

Could you organise a 6/7 point win for tomorrow?

it is easier to organise a detailed digital map than to get Armagh to do what you want! Indeed during the 25 minutes in the 2nd half when they didn't score I feared for our chances. The last minute goal was lucky but we might have had two in the first half, when Armagh were dominant they didn't get enough on the scoreboard. Aaron Kernan was up and down the field and we might be in Division 3 without him. In the 2nd half when Oisin was on, the ball rarely game up near him. I'll never know how he didn't win a free near the end, when we got our last point, it is routine to complain about the ref, but sometimes you wonder! Marsden clearly knows what to do, but does he have the speed to carry it out?

Still its good to be in Div 2 rather than 3, and given Louth's performance today it is probably fair enough that they rather than Westmeath or Armagh went down.

[dexter]

Armagh ratings:
Hearty 9  excellent saves
Enda 9 reading of game superb
Francie 7 steady
Finnian 6 average
Donaghy 6 average
Mcgeeney 7 good distribution
Aaron 8 good going forward
McGrane 9 some inspirational play
Toner 8 good fetching in middle
O' Rourke 6 won some breaking ball
Marsden 7 showed well
Lavery 7 good fielding
Paddy 6 quiet
Loughran 5 Poor
Stevie 9 class act

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

I'll never know how he didn't win a free near the end, when we got our last point, it is routine to complain about the ref, but sometimes you wonder!

Didn't have a good view of that incident but in fairness the ref gave us a free in the second half when the Armagh man caught the ball and was knocked over by Stevie McDonnell! And we put the free over.

[bennydorano]

Lucky to get a win at all, 4 points certainly does an injustice to Westmeath judged on the second half, but the game could have been over as a contest at half time with the goal chances missed.

Best for Armagh were Aaron Kernan, Stevie & McGrane.  How Donaghy remained on for the whole game is a mystery, especially with Vernon & Dyas on the line.  Marty O'Rourke and the HF line in general had another game to forget.  The battle between McGrane and O'Shaugnessy was excellent, the big westmeath probably shaded him although he baltently pushed him on numerous occasions, although McGrane did return the favour after realising the Ref was doing nothing about it.  A mate with me thought Loughran was good, but I didn't see it, firstly he couldn't play FF(not his fault)when moved out around the middle I though his wing mirror mentality returned.

With the championship only 6 odd weeks away there's a helluva lot to be worried about, particularly in the forwards, our HF line, so often our best line, is just shit at the minute - a worrying time for both McKeever and O'Rourke to hit a dip in form.  There's defintely a place there fo Peadar Toal if he can get over his ankle injury.  McConville hopefully will take a bit of the pressure of Stevie.  Lavery and Toner have shown up well in most games but I dont know if I'd start them,at the minute my team would be:
        Hearty
Mallon, Bellew, McEnulty
AK, C MCKeever, Duffy
    McGrane, Toner
P Toal, MArsden, M O'Rourke
Micheal O'Rourke, McConville, McDonnell

For all the new players we've tried and tested this year, it's telling that none of them would make my first 15, although a few would see action at some stage.  I 'd like to see Michael O'Rourke start, but i dont think Joe rates him.

[Uladh]

Far from vintage football but Good to get out of it with a win at the end of the day.

armagh should have been well ahead at half time but tried to work goals when they weren't there very early in the game... maybe the lads were thinking about needing a six point win. 3 points wasn't a true reflection of the first half dominance and we could have paid the price had wmeath taken their shooting boots with them. they must have kicked 7/8 scorable opportunities wide in the opening 15minutes of the second half but the defence tightened up considerably in the closing period. two fantastic saves from hearty went a long way to seeing Armagh home also. it was good to see the ould grind it out mentality in evidence today in the last ten minutes when the game was level and wmeath had the breeze.

Aaron produced a fantastic attacking display, scorinf two vital points but the usual defensive lapses cost a couple of points at least. could he not be tried in a withdrawn h forward role so we can keep his positives and try to cover his frailties? I thought enda was very very shaky for long periods but started getting out in front in the last 15 minutes to good effect. moriarty just seems a bit short at this level and i can't see him playing championship football. wmeath prepared well for francie and buddha dragging him all over the field and getting little pop passes worked a treat. thank god they handicapped themselves by pushing flannagan up onto the square in the second half. After strting well, i'm beginning to wonder if its a season too far for geezer. early days yet dolan tortured him for long periods when he was on him and his distribution was woeful.

it was disappointing to see toner go off early as he'd settled well and was playing some nice football. we haven't really had a good look at him yet. McGrane battled away well as usual and probably broke even. after fielding 2 good balls early on, lavery was anonymous and loughran offered nothing when he eventually moved out.

The half forwards were again disappointing. o'rourke offered his usual shift and maybe this aspect of armagh's game is only missed when he's missing, like last saturday night. diarmaid made a lot of runs and tackled hard but on a lot of occasions the legs didn't carry him where he wanted to go. that said, his man was an absolute rocket. diarmaid made some telling passes in the final ten minutes and it could be argued that he won us the game. lavery was poor and mc keever worse when he was moved out.

McDonnell ploughed his usual lone furrow  today again to good effect. he's worth his weight in gold. Loughran is not a full forward and oisin offered nothing after his first point, with mitigating reasons of course.

division 2 is a lot better than div 3 and its onwards and upwards for the championship hopefully!

[Armagh Exile]

Congratulations to Armagh.
If only Oisin had been on during the early part of the 1st half when ample scoring chances were there but Loughran was not able to convert.
In fact we should have had two points but got blocked down and from the resultant counter-attack Westmeath drew two frees which they converted.
I was impressed with Marsden and feel he will wear the No 11 jersey come championship.

[Orior]

Who was marking Dolan?

[holylandsniper]

Benny, Dyas injured but hopefully back for U21 game

[Armagh Exile]

Who was marking Dolan?

Kieran McGeeney

[Rufus T Firefly]

As normal, not a lot to add to what has been said. Thought the lads were thinking six point win from early on and coughed up many points in attempts for goals.

I honestly believe that Armagh will be a lot more formidable come the Summer - I'm convinced that the Cross pitch does not do Armagh any favours, as it is heavy, undulating, tight and bumpy. I would expect Armagh to improve a lot on the surfaces of Clones, Casement and (God willing) Croker.

I would feel too that Armagh would be doing a lot of heavy work in training, and that come the Championship, we will be a lot sharper.

Best for us yesterday were Hearty, Aaron Kernan, young Toner (until he went off - I hope his injury is not too bad) and Stevie.

By the way - time stops for no man, and watching yeterday I could see a day in the not too distant future when we field a team with no-one from our great day in 2002 featuring.

[Spiritof98]

.

By the way - time stops for no man, and watching yeterday I could see a day in the not too distant future when we field a team with no-one from our great day in 2002 featuring.

Hopefully when recovered young Clarke can deny us this stat rufus.

[pintsofguinness]

I've nothing to really add either only that Toner really impressed me, I was very sorry to see him going off. 
As for Stephen Kernan, well what can you f**king say, how can Joe justify it? On yesterday and spent the entire time running round like a headless chicken. 
And whoever makes the announcements, would they ever shut up!

[Uladh]

I meant to put that in my original post pog. Would someone please tell the announcer to fcuk off. i couldn't hear a word anyone around me said in the last ten minutes before throwin with that gobshite blathering away in the background. it was brilliant for the down game when the pa was broken.