Orchardmen still on course

While the Leinster game had me on the edge of my seat as Westmeath battled until the last six or seven minutes in search of a shock result I thoroughly enjoyed the big game in Ulster for much different reasons.
The Ulster championship remains the only show in town in the early part of the season.
It's still the only place where teams play with anything like the intensity needed to win an All Ireland.
While Cork and Kerry, Mayo and Galway coast to provincial finals and the Dubs can still produce enough bluster to get through Leinster you still have to work for your corn in the North.
This year was touted as the one where we would see an end to the domination of mainly Armagh, but also Tyrone, in Ulster.
This was based on the belief that Monaghan were coming, Derry were the finished article and that the north's big two were on the slide.
Monaghan's great form of last year is now only a fading memory after a first round exit at the hands of Fermanagh.
Derry's over reliance on Paddy Bradley was laid bare last week, again by Fermanagh, and while Down did dethrone last year's champions Tyrone after a replay Armagh have quietly got on with the business of reaching another Ulster final.
Their quarter final performance against Cavan was solid and they moved up a gear yesterday to see off Down despite playing with 14 men for more than 30 minutes of the second half.
The Armagh performance was a little Jeckell and Hyde at times.
There were passages of play which was as good as anything in the country this year, good movement, accurate passing and top drawer finishing.
Clarke and McDonnell are a handful and young Stephen Kernan has obviously modelled his game on that of Oisin McConville.
Charlie Vernon has added a little power to the half forward line and he can get better.
McGrane and Toner are a good combination in the middle while the defence remains fairly mean with Andy Mallon's pace and Francie Bellew's uncompromising marking a big plus.
Peter McDonnell seems to have achieved what many of us thought was beyond Armagh and that was to almost seamlessly move from the great side of the early days of the decade to another team which has retained some of that wealth of experience and blended it with some exciting new talent.
The Kernans, all three of them, Finian Moriarty, Vernon and Toner have brought something to a team which looked two seasons ago to be on the way out.
I do have a couple of reservations about Armagh yet however.
They play a very controlled game, no running about like headless chickens, holding on to possession, but it is a bit predictable and a bit one paced.
They don't have anyone like Marsden or even Oisin McConville who can produce that little burst of explosive pace which leaves even top class defenders floundering.
Paddy McKeever and Martin O'Rourke will struggle a little at half forward when they meet better quality opposition, they don't have the legs to seriously hurt the top sides.
McGrane is still a magnificent player, capable of great fielding and passing and in the early stages of a game he can still make the surging runs forward.
As the game goes on however, you see less of that part of his game and at times yesterday I thought that Armagh could have been doing with someone in the middle capable of giving them something extra in the last 15 minutes.
Aidan O'Rourke has played well at centre half and is great moving forward, I think his defensive qualities will be tested much more robustly however, starting with the powerful running of the Fermanagh forwards.
McDonnell and Clarke had a great day at the office yesterday with Clarke in particular in brilliant form.
They enjoyed loads of possession and some good ball into the danger areas.
I just wonder do Armagh have enough variation if route one isn't going their way.
However, despite the retirements of some of their best players no one will want to meet them if they do progress to the All-Ireland quarter finals as they remain one of the best teams in the country.

Wishful thinking by McDonnell

Armagh forward Stevie McDonnell has sounded a warning today about anyone writing off Tyrone in the provincial championship saying that Mickey Harte's men like Armagh have improved as the championship has gone on.
Tyrone and Armagh have literally carved Ulster up between them since 1999, with Armagh way out ahead with six titles to Tyrone's three.
However, the Red Hands have fared slightly better in the All Ireland with two wins to Armagh's one and one of the Tyrone victories came at Armagh's expense in the first ever all Ulster final in 2003.
However, neither side are the force they were early in the decade, Tyrone devastated by the loss of Cormac McAnallen and an injury list that would do an episode of Casualty justice.
Armagh on the other hand have lost some of their greatest players, McGeeney and Marsden in particular, to retirement and some of their most experienced players are the wrong side of 30, and in the modern game that's a problem.
Both counties have worked hard with young players, Tyrone because they've had to and Armagh have had a good set of Under 21s come through.
However, they are not yet the genuine article and I think that McDonnell is being over optimistic about the two sides' fortunes.
No one will look forward to playing them, and if they go out of Ulster who would want them in the play-offs, but I think this season we will see new kings in Ulster.
Derry and Monaghan are ahead of the province's big two at the moment and Donegal could also be a threat if they can turn over Derry who may be too confident after the easy league win over Brian McIver's side.
Ulster is notoriously difficult to navigate but the big question for me is, is there a side in the province capable of beating Kerry. I don't think so on the evidence so far this year but that's the beauty about championship anything can happen.
I'd love Tyrone and Armagh to mount a credible challenge again, it would be good for football in the province, but I believe it's wishful thinking.

Armagh send out a warning

Armagh's footballers sent out a warning to the rest of Ulster today that they will still be one of the teams to beat if anyone wants to lift the Anglo-Celt Cup.
The Orchardmen's form this year has been patchy to say the least.
They were drilled last day out by Meath but turned that result on its head by seeing off Dublin in some style.
With the Cross contingent at their disposal, and four Kernan brothers in the team, they turned the Dubs over by nine points.
The final score did flatter the Orchard men with two late goals from Ronan Clarke and Stephen McDonnell but manager Peter McDonnell's side will take great confidence from this result before they go into the Ulster championship where Armagh have been the team to beat for ten years now.
Despite losing several key players over the last three to four seasons Armagh still have a nucleus of very experienced players and in Ronan Clarke and Stephen McDonnell they have two of the best full forwards in the country.
Armagh have really missed Clarke in recent years as his seasons have been stop start as a result of injuries, but when he and McDonnell are up front together they have a great understanding and McDonnell thrives off Clarke's intelligent lay-offs.
If your side is competitive in all areas of the field a couple of great forwards are what makes you stand out from the pack.
Armagh are not fancied in Ulster this season but no one will relish playing them.