Preview: Consistency v inconsistency as Armagh look to take another step forward

ALL-IRELAND SFC
Armagh v Derry
Saturday. 7.15pm, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds

By Michael McMullan

CONSISTENCY meets inconsistency on Saturday with Ulster champions Armagh taking on Derry on home soil.

Since winning the 2024 All-Ireland title, Armagh have lost two of their 11 championship games.

One by a point to Donegal in last year’s Ulster final.

The other was an eight-point defeat last summer when Kerry flummoxed their kick-out plans.

Derry have won three of their last 11. A comfortable win over Antrim, a four-point group game win over Westmeath before knocking Mayo out on penalties.

Counting the later voided defeat to Laois in 2016, McGeeney’s second season in charge, this will be his 59th championship game at the helm with Armagh.

It’s been a story of persistence. Andrew Murnin is set to be the only player of the 20 ‘Geezer’ selected in his first championship game.

It was a defeat to Donegal. His centre back was current coach Ciaran McKeever.

Ethan Rafferty was at midfield with Aidan Forker at wing forward.

Ciarán Meenagh is Derry’s seventh manager in 12 years McGeeney has been Armagh’s manager.

The consistency Meenagh will be looking for from his team on Saturday is something that will have reflected back at him for long periods from the Monaghan game.

It was an enigma of a game. They led by 10 points. They carved open goal chances and were generally very good.

Their shortcomings came from their efficiency in front of goals. While they missed five wind-assisted two-point shots in the first half, Monaghan hit eight in all.

It was Bobby McCaul that pegged them back defensively and how much more rev Gabriel Bannigan saw from the men he brought off the bench.

McGeeney might see Murnin playing inside as similar but may opt to keep him at midfield.

First of all, they need him there. Secondly, Armagh don’t tend of be as hungry for two-pointers in the way McCaul created the space for Monaghan to be ravenous around the arc.

Odhrán Lynch has played the last two club games for Magherafelt but it’s hard to see him – or Ryan Scullion – dislodging Shea McGuckin from the number one jersey.

It’s at the other end of the field where Derry need to make gains. Blaine Hughes has given Armagh quite the platform on kick-outs. This, coupled with their efficiency in possession, makes them dangerous.

Eoin McEvoy, Conor Glass, Conor Doherty and Brendan Rogers might be the wall across the middle.

They’ll take heart from how they forced Rory Beggan into kicking into slender spaces they closed off.

The other conundrum is Oisin Conaty. He is on fire with pace and an ability to turn off either side.

It could be a Conor McCluskey project for the day but he’ll need a shift defence to help him and communication.

Armagh suck teams to one side, sometimes to two-point shot areas, before a clever switching of the play into open country on the other wing.

Conaty’s searing pace for Armagh’s 10th point in the Ulster final is one glaring example, but it came from Oisin O’Neill being the played sucked bodies in.

A look at the 16 teams chasing Sam, Armagh and Derry are locked in 12th place with Dublin, in terms of two pointers across league and championship – 21.

To give it context, Meath are leaders with 38. Steven Sherlock has 16. Yes, 16.

In terms of goals, Armagh have bagged 13. Derry have one more but were operating in Division Two.

In some ways Derry and Armagh are quite similar. It’s a running game based around one on ones to create overlaps.

Derry’s goals against Monaghan a case in point.

For now, Armagh are more ruthless at it. They’ve pace. McMullen. McQuillan. Turbitt. Conaty.

Much of Derry’s punch is in getting Ethan Doherty firing, something Louth closed down that day in Ardee.

He needs players doubling up and on his wavelength with the perfectly weighted pass.

Much is spoken about matchups but the question of Derry’s weeks in the long grass will centre on how much more efficient they can be.

In this regard, the manner of their demise against Monaghan will have lit a fire.

It would give them a chance to follow in Tyrone’s footsteps and get more telepathy into their frontal division.

McGuigan, Murray, Loughlin, Doherty and Cassidy are all quality players.

If Derry can get them all on the same page, it will come down to how much possession they can get.

This is a dangerous game for Armagh. The plus point is that they know that.

And in Kieran McGeeney, they’ve someone who has been a constant across 12 seasons.

If it goes to the wire, as expected, home advantage and impact off the bench might just sway this one.

Verdict: Armagh

Last Meeting – 2025 All-Ireland SFC Armagh 2-21 Derry 2-17

Armagh washed away the pain of their recent Ulster final defeat with a four-point win over Derry to complete a successful start to their All-Ireland defence.

The home side led by three points at half-time and enjoyed a 13-point advantage by the 57th minute only to see the Oakleaf County stage a creditable late fightback that fell just short of a surprise result.

Kieran McGeeney’s side produced 11 scorers, with Barry McCambridge and Conor Turbitt netting Armagh’s goals.

Armagh: E Rafferty; P Burns, B McCambridge (1-0), P McGrane; R McQuillan (0-4), J Burns (0-1), J Duffy (0-1); B Crealey, D McMullan (0-1); R Grugan (0-3, 2f), O Conaty (0-4, 1tp), T Kelly; A Murnin (0-3), O O’Neill, R O’Neill (0-1).
Subs: C Turbitt (1-2, 1pt) for O O’Neill, S Campbell for Duffy, N Grimley for R O’Neill, J McElroy (0-1) for Grugan, G McCabe for R McQuillan.

Derry: B McKinless; P McGurk, E McEvoy, D Baker; R Forbes (0-1), B Rogers, P McGrogan (0-1 45); C Glass (1-3), C Doherty; C McFaul, P Cassidy (0-5), E Doherty (0-1), A Tohill; S McGuigan (0-5, 1tp, 1tpf), N Toner (0-1f).
Subs: D Higgins (1-0) for Tohill, R Mulholland for McGurk, C Devlin for McFaul, T Rogers for Toner, D McDermott for McGrogan

Last Five Meetings

2025 All-Ireland SFC Armagh 2-21 Derry 2-17
2025 Div 1 Armagh 4-24 Derry 1-18
2024 All-Ireland SFC Derry 0-15 Armagh 3-17
2024 McKenna Cup Armagh 2-7 Derry 0-17
2023 Ulster SFC Derry 1-15 Armagh 0-18 AET (Derry win 3-1 on pens)

Season So Far

Armagh

NFL
Monaghan 0-18 Armagh 1-27
Armagh 0-20 Galway 3-12
Roscommon 3-18 Armagh 0-24
Armagh 0-19 Donegal 1-20
Mayo 2-17 Armagh 0-22
Dublin 1-25 Armagh 2-24
Armagh 1-21 Kerry 0-24

Ulster SFC
Armagh 1-17 Tyrone 1-16 AET
Fermanagh 1-24 Armagh 2-32
Armagh 3-33 Down 0-14
Armagh 2-28 Monaghan 0-25 AET

Derry

NFL
Derry 1-13 Meath 0-9
Derry 1-15 Tyrone 1-12
Kildare 1-18 Kildare 3-15
Derry 2-25 Offaly 0-8
Derry 1-31 Cork 0-14
Louth 1-19 Derry 0-18
Derry 1-20 Cavan 0-19

ULSTER SFC
Derry 2-23 Antrim 1-13
Monaghan 1-30 Derry 3-23 AET

Top Scorers

ARMAGH
Oisin O’Neill 3-49 (14f, 5tpf, 3tp)
Conor Turbitt 3-33 (3tp, 4f)
Cian McConville 1-34 (14f, 1tp)

DERRY
Shane McGuigan 1-59 (14f, 5tpf, 3tp)
Niall Loughlin 4-22 (4f, 2tp, 1tpf)
Lachlan Murray 3-22 (1tp, 1f)