McConville has rid his game of “maddening inconsistency”

OISIN McCONVILLE needs to score six points on Sunday for the record books to acknowledge him as the sharpest shooter in this year’s championship.

He currently trails Ray Cosgrove by five points, although unlike Cosgrove, all of McConville’s scores have been over the crossbar.

And those who have kept an eye on Armagh since they exposed certain Tyrone limitations during a rare afternoon of May sunshine, know McConville has finally rid his game of its biggest weakness.

In the past, McConville’s undoubted talent has suffered from, what Joe Brolly termed, “a maddening inconsistency.” One gloomy championship day, he would be unstoppable, giving a decent impression as the finest forward in the game. Two weeks later, he would be anonymous, deserted by the accuracy of a fortnight before.

This hit and miss reputation grew its longest legs by Oisin’s non-involvement in this Armagh side’s first All Ireland semi-final. McConville went missing that day, as Armagh, out-playing Meath in virtually every sector, burst into a swift lead only to see it disintegrate as they sat back and McConville missed some easy frees.

That McConville’s father was ill at the time, and would die a few days later, didn’t burden the minds of those Orchard supporters who sought to scapegoat McConville. However, Brian Canavan has said since that playing McConville that afternoon wasn’t the wisest managerial decision he ever made.

However, McConville played because he wanted to play. Whenever fit and able to play, he is willing to don the orange jersey. Those same supporters who pinned his face to a mental dartboard after the Meath debacle, haven’t always agreed.

In that enduring GAA tradition of trying to knock your county’s most talented players, Orchard fans would bend many an ear with talk that McConville never played for the county with the same panache he showed for Crossmaglen.

Nonsense, of course, but when you are among the most talented at what you do you must expect ridiculous criticism. It’s the Irish way. Those who complained that McConville never moved above half throttle for Armagh must have been on holidays during the epic replay between the Apple Boys and the Kingdom two years ago.

It was the greatest hour and a half of McConville’s career, troubling Seamus Moynihan more than the full-back has ever been troubled in his career, scoring 1-9 in the process.

Since then, McConville has retreated into the wing-forwards and, while they might have yearned for his instinctive finishing last season, the discovery of Ronan Clarke has meant McConville can concentrate on being a half-forward this summer.

Ironically, since Joe Kernan has arrived on scene, McConville has developed more consistency in his game. Kernan has always been a father figure to McConville. Of all the Crossmaglen players on the panel, it is said Kernan has the closest relationship with McConville.

The respect is reciprocated.

“Joe has just brought more professionalism into the set-up,” McConville says. “He has just introduced different things to training, brought us for weekends away, that kind of thing. Joe has been there before, he knows the score, knows what to do.”

And there is no question of big Joe going any easier on the lads just because they come from the same town. “He doesn’t go easier on us, if anything, he goes much harder.”

Given his free-taking ability from anywhere within 40 yards, something he practises with manic fervour, McConville is always good for at least four points before every game. You don’t need to eavesdrop on Fitzgerald Stadium this week, to hear Paidi tell his defenders don’t foul anywhere within McConville’s radar on Sunday.

Still, Oisin admits it is nice that Armagh have unearthed two more forwards to lighten his load: “We are a more cohesive, more settled unit this year. Stevie (McDonnell) and Ronan Clarke have been playing out of their skins, as has John. And although he isn’t scoring as much, Diarmuid has been putting in a ton of work.”

When he unravels the tangle of this summer and thinks where did it all go right for Armagh, he can’t look past the Tyrone game: “That was obviously the start of it, they were coming in as league champions and favourites for the All Ireland in a lot of people’s eyes. Beating them gave us a boost, but we have worked hard all year. New faces have come into the panel, which obviously helps, brings a bit of freshness into the whole thing. We are just going to continue to prepare the same way that we have done all the way along. Maybe, occasionally, our football hasn’t been up to our potential.”

Does he feel Armagh haven’t touched their potential yet this year. “You can always play better, y’know. It is a matter of will and a little bit of luck on the day.”

While there will be a watchful eye kept on McConville, particularly after his Mardi Gras performance in the replay two years ago and his match-winning point in the semi-final, the Crossmaglen man thinks Armagh will be even more perturbed by two of Kerry’s attack, one in particular, a forward who in that aforementioned replay even outshone McConville: “Yeah, Mike Frank. Everyone knows what he did against us two years ago. So, we’ll have to watch out for him, but when you are watching out for him, there is another wee boy in the far corner, Cooper, and he looks a different class altogether. Some of his points against Cork have been unbelievable. They are a massive threat.”

You would imagine that is what Kerry defenders would have been saying about McConville, had the cat not got their tongues.