By Shaun Casey

ARMAGH have given themselves a real fighting chance of clinging onto their top tier status, but manager Kieran McGeeney expects their “toughest game” of the campaign when they host Kerry on Sunday afternoon.

The Orchard County currently rest just above the relegation zone, with Dublin and Monaghan, the two teams they have beaten, sitting below them.

Monaghan are already gone, but if Armagh loss to the All-Ireland champions and the Dubs get something from their date with Galway, then that’ll send Armagh packing to Division Two for 2027.

Armagh’s last contest against the Kingdom was of course the All-Ireland quarter-final of last summer, when a stunning 15-minute blitz in the second half allowed Jack O’Connor’s men to snatch the Sam Maguire from Armagh’s hands.

“We have a big week ahead of us, probably the toughest game we’re going to have is the last one,” said McGeeney. “Kerry are flying high. Ourselves and Mayo, there wasn’t much to separate us and we saw Kerry dismantle them last weekend.

“You have the terrible twosome of (David) Clifford and Seanie O’Shea, 0-20 between the two of them (against Mayo), which is amazing in anybody’s eyes.

“We know we have a tough week ahead of us and Kerry still have players to come back in but we’re still in the fight and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Reflecting on last weekend’s win over Dublin at Croke Park, when his side overturned an 11-point second half deficit to win by two, McGeeney was delighted with the effort of his players after the turnaround.

Goals from Cian McConville and Oisin Conaty were crucial while Oisin O’Neill and Conor Turbitt made a significant impact after coming in off the bench, sharing 0-8 between them during the second half.

Armagh also welcomed Aaron McKay back to the starting line-up while 2024 All-Ireland winning captain Aidan Forker earned his first minutes of inter-county action since last year’s championship exit.

“It was great to get the points,” he added. “I suppose we were all annoyed with our first half performance, we were very flat and we just didn’t seem at the races bar a couple of players, but they really stood up and stand out in the second half, they gave everything.

“It was hard to put our fingers on it at half time because we all knew how important it was but maybe the pressure got to us, but they seemed to grow into it, and they put in a great second half performance.”