It’s now or never, says McNulty

JUSTIN McNULTY smiles. It has been a few minutes into the interview, and the subject everyone is thinking about hadn’t been broached yet. Y’know, the Kerry full-forward line Justin, they are fairly good, aren’t they?

To his credit, he doesn’t quiver when they are mentioned, just smiles. “I have thought about those three, dreamt about them and had nightmares about them.

“We know the challenge facing us on Sunday, we have watched them all year.

“What can you say about them? They are three superb footballers, they can shoot on sight, score from all angles and we are really up against it. All we can do is minimise their scoring potential as much as we can.”

The idea of Armagh’s full back twisting and turning through sleepless nights in All-Ireland final week will gladden Kerry hearts.

However, recent years of upset and setbacks means McNulty is viewing Sunday’s showdown as his final drink in the last-chance saloon. They have been hanging around since ’99, and one of these years, McNulty knows they won’t be coming back to Croker. “This is the last chance. We have been knocking on the door for the past four years and you can only go to the well so many times. If it doesn’t happen this year, I can’t see it happening for us again. There are too many players for whom this might be the last year. It is now or never.”

Like so many sides, full-back has been a needle of concern for Armagh in the recent past. While Ger Reid, now relegated to bench duty, never got blown out of the water, he never truly inspired confidence in those around him either. During the league, Reid succumbed to the back problems that have plagued him for a few seasons, and Justin McNulty was tried as the last line. In his Armagh career, McNulty has been a little of this, a little of that, enjoying the reputation that comes with the versatility role. Stick him in there and he’ll do a job. Full-back was a new one, though.

“Joe brought me in there and stuck with me. I feel sorry for Ger, because he has been a great full back down through the years, and the fact that he is there, waiting in the wings, puts a bit of pressure on me to keep performing well. I am enjoying life in the centre, anyhow. It’s a different sort of position to the corners, there, it is man marking, you are dealing with small, jinking corner-forwards whereas at full, you have a bit more freedom, you stay more in your own position.”

With that in mind, does he prefer that he is detailed to look after Dara O’Cinneide, say, rather than Mike Frank Russell or Colm Cooper come Sunday. “I wouldn’t have any particular favourites on who to mark. Each one is tough to mark. What we need to do, the most important thing is to stay tight on them, if they get into any sort of space, they are going to shoot.

“It is important that we cut the supply to them outfield. That’s key, because if they are getting good supply, you have no chance. These lightning starts that Kerry seem able to produce this year, they lie in the supply they have been getting outfield. Against Cork, the game wads over after 15 minutes. Even when Cork came back, Kerry were that step ahead.”

If Kerry can accelerate from the blocks, Armagh tend to retreat into a shell after early pace setting. Kerry supporters will remember the replay in 2000, when Armagh sat back after racing in front in the second half, and again against Sligo this year, Armagh rested on a six point lead when Sligo went a man down.

“We have sat back, “ McNulty admits. “That was the big difference in the Dublin game, was we had no choice but to come at them. In some games, we have sat back and rested on our laurels.”

As the first Sligo game entered its closing stages, McNulty watched wave after wave progressing towards him and felt another championship slip Armagh by, particularly after a wayward pass found a black rather than orange shirt. “I was frightened the whole thing was falling apart in the final five minutes, especially when I gave the ball away in the last couple of minutes. We got a second chance, but when I gave that ball away, I was getting 10 horror attacks at once.”

It was Dara McGarty who latched onto McNulty’s loose pass, but elected to punch the ball over the bar, despite having the space to shoot for goal. The end result was the Navan replay which Armagh squeezed through in.

It should be a proud day for the McNultys of Mullaghbawn. There is just going to be some prayers said around the village that Messrs O’Cinneide and Cooper don’t spoil the party.