Armagh are coming to boil and will fancy chances vs Dublin – Con O'Callaghan is an incalculable loss for Dessie Farrell
A CHAMPIONSHIP clash with Dublin at Croke Park could hardly be described as low-hanging fruit.
But I get the sense nonetheless that the Orchard is beginning to bloom.
3
Armagh face Dublin in the All-Ireland SFC
Credit: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
3
Graham Geraghty backed the reigning champions to beat the Dubs
Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
3
Con O'Callaghan will miss the game through injury
Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
And with
Even though the severity of his injury will probably be kept under wraps, it is no surprise to see Con's name absent from the
It did not look good for him as he went off against
Such is the way of these things, he may still end up playing a part.
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If not, it will be an incalculable loss for Dublin.
Prior to picking up the injury, his performance against Galway was yet another demonstration of his importance to Dessie Farrell's team. So much goes through him, whether he is operating in the half-forward line or closer to goal.
As evidenced by Farrell's decision to hand him the captaincy, Con's leadership is also vital at a time when the Dubs are striving to show that there is life after the likes of Brian Fenton and James McCarthy.
Returning to Croker for a game of this magnitude is exactly where Dublin want to be. Yet the same goes for Armagh, who are coming to the boil nicely.
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The trajectory of their form is promising, there's a good buzz about them and crucially their ranks have been bolstered by the return of Rian O'Neill.
The momentum is building for Kieran McGeeney's men.
Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview -
They showed few signs of an Ulster final hangover while racking up a big lead against
Derry
, whose late surge only served to put some respectability on the scoreline.
Armagh will not have it all their own way against Dublin by any stretch of the imagination. What the Dubs did to Galway was extremely impressive. They are a team who are sure to be high on confidence.
However, if Con is gone, Dublin will find it very difficult to dig out a victory. One man does not make a team, yet his influence is just so critical that the Dubs are nowhere near as formidable without him.
This has the makings of being as good a game as we will see all year. And while there will not be much between the teams, Armagh look likely to have the edge.
There was a time not too long ago when Dublin were in such good nick that they could afford to be missing a few key players. But no team could ship so many blows on the personnel front and not be detrimentally affected. The team that has been named to start against Armagh shows just six survivors from the 2023 All-Ireland final win over
Kerry
— Stephen Cluxton, Davy Byrne, Brian Howard, Ciarán
Kilkenny
, Cormac Costello and Colm Basquel.
You cannot expect to stay at the top of the pile while being robbed of so much quality in such a short period of time.
Now, they are not far away from it and will not be easily beaten by anyone. But are Dublin one of the top three All-Ireland contenders as things stand? Not for me.
PANEL SHOW
A strong panel is needed to go all the way nowadays and Armagh can certainly boast that now.
Their captain is also injured as Aidan Forker looks set to
remain
sidelined as well. But their options on the bench still include Stefan Campbell, Joe McElroy and Connaire Mackin, who all contributed enormously to their All-Ireland win.
Also held in reserve again is Jemar Hall, who generally sees very little action but would probably be a regular starter for most other top teams.
Iron sharpens iron when you have that level of competition within a set-up.
And when guys are working that hard in training just to get a
jersey
, it is manifested on match-day when a manager can call upon subs who are just as good as the lads they are replacing.
At the moment, there are not many counties with the depth and quality to match what is at McGeeney's disposal. With players coming off the bench often proving to be the match-winners nowadays, Armagh are in a very good place.
All 16 teams are in action this weekend in the All-Ireland SFC, so there will be plenty to monitor and much to learn about those with aspirations of being in
Galway's trip to
Celtic
Park is not a do-or-die fixture for either Pádraic Joyce's side or Derry but, still, the stakes are extremely high for two teams aiming to recover from losses.
Indeed, having been a kick of a ball away from winning the All-Ireland last year, going into a rematch with Armagh in two weeks' time without a point on the board would be a disastrous scenario for Galway.
They should have enough to see off a Derry team whose frailties have been exposed by the new rules. But the visitors must proceed with caution now that the air is getting thinner.
Finally, the good times should continue for
The
future
looks rosy for the Red Hands.
And the present could be quite promising too if they can build on the performance they brought to Ballybofey while uncovering some chinks in the home side's armour.
There is very little to separate Tyrone, Donegal and Armagh. On a given day, they are all capable of beating one another. When this
Championship
comes to the crunch, Ulster's finest should have a major say.
Getting out of Omagh with anything to show for their efforts will be a huge ask of Mayo, particularly given the potential impact of Kevin McStay having to step back.
I wish him well and hope he makes a full recovery, which is far more important than anything that happens on the pitch in Healy Park.
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Irish Examiner
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