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Off the Record

Off the Record


Last Updated Jun 2010
By: OISIN McCONVILLE

IT is time for the Armagh County Board to take action after the unsavoury incident between Culloville and Maghery last week.

There needs to be a proper investigation and its not fair to jump to any conclusions or drag any of the club's through the mud.

But if a player or players have done wrong the County Board needs to administer punishment because this sort of thing is creeping into the game.

I have been watching Armagh train and by seeing how they play it is hard to fathom why we aren't doing better than we are.

It makes me believe even more so that the loss to Monaghan was just a bad day in the office for a lot of players, and that happens.

There are players at the World Cup that aren't shining and they are picking up thousands of pounds.

These Armagh players don't pick up a penny and they are entitled to an off day like anyone else.

The Orchard County have the players to get past Donegal on Saturday, and it is a massive physiological test. Can we come back from a 12-point defeat and overturn Donegal?

We can, but it won't be easy and if we do then there is no reason we can't can go on and have a good run.

However, it is established that we don't have an overabundance of players who can kick the ball over the bar. So what our game plan has to be is to give the ball to those who can score.

For Armagh that's Steven McDonnell and Jamie Clarke and we need to put the ball on silver platters for them. And that is ok.

Kieran McGeeney used to say to me, ‘”I'll put the ball in your hands, you can get the scores and take the headlines, I just want to be part of a winning team”, and that is what he did for a lot of years.

And while I have been the first to call for more scoring forwards, and believe that more players need to chip in with scores, McDonnell and Clarke will do damage.

It was disappointing to see Down lose to Tyrone in the Ulster Senior Football Championship on Saturday.

They could have won the game but lacked belief and I suppose there just wasn't enough players on the pitch willing to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Playing at county level teams need to the share the load and when Benny Coulter was tightly marked and Martin Clarke had an off day, there wasn't too many others who made themselves count.

Look at Tyrone, and while Brian Dooher scored a couple of wonder points, he didn't do much else and that's when Martin Penrose rose to the challenge.

Down should feel frustrated because some of the play they enjoyed in the opening 10 minutes was like watching the Down teams of old.

They were like Kerry in disguise but, when Tyrone made a few personnel switches, Down failed to counter them.

Down had chances to score and didn't take them and that proved costly, yet I think both Armagh and Down have the ability to reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals. And it would be a poor reflection if they don't get that far.

I would like to wish the Armagh Minor hurlers the best of luck in the Ulster Final.


 


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