By Michael McMullan

THERE are two stories going into Sunday’s Ulster semi-final showdown in Clones.

Firstly. Armagh are going in with one day extra of recovery having had a comfortable win over Fermanagh.

On the flip side, Down had the rollercoaster of chinning the Ulster champions in their own backyard.

Sunday’s result will write the next chapter and dictate which word rules – recovery or momentum.

“I think football is about momentum at the minute,” Laverty said after their win over Donegal, asked about the seven-day turnaround.

“Whenever you get on that wee crest of a wave of winning, absolutely anything can happen.

“Armagh were really good in the first half (against Fermanagh),” he added.

“That’s another puzzle now but isn’t it brilliant, isn’t it great to be heading now to do recovery and get our bodies right.”

Two years ago, Down spent virtually the entire week in each other’s company plotting a plan that nearly beat eventual All-Ireland champions Armagh.

It was the same last year, studying how Donegal used Shaun Patton to give them a puncher’s chance of delivering a knockout blow.

An away game in Kerry was part of their preparations for last week’s win over Donegal.

In the environment of the week-on-week games, preparation isn’t just important – it’s everything.

Study

Laverty spoke of how last Sunday night would be a late one, dominated by delving into what Armagh can bring. It will be the same most nights. In fact, it’s never much different.

“If you ask the lads, they get random messages from me in the weirdest hours of the morning,” he said, backing up the outside impression that football is everything to Laverty.

“I have a brilliant, brilliant set-up round me,” he adds. “From Mickey (Donnelly) to Tony (McEntee) to Marty (Martin Clarke) to Decky (Declan Morgan), from all the members of the extended management team.

“We’ll get stuck in, but sure, isn’t it brilliant?” Laverty questions, before referring to the lonely bus journey after their 2023 semi-final exit to Armagh. A proper beating in the rain, 4-10 to 0-12.

“That bus journey, the bus got lost on the way home,” Laverty recalls. “It was the worst bus journey of my life.”

Standing at the back of the O’Donnell Park stand, Laverty and Down were eying a stop on their way home for recovery.

“That’s what we’re in the game for,” he said. “That’s the stuff I really enjoy and I’m looking forward to.”