Armagh stick with winning formula

ARMAGH manager Joe Kernan has announced an unchanged side for the Ulster champions’ clash with Fermanagh in the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final at Croke Park on Saturday.

Obviously thrilled at the excellence of the performance served up by his charges last time out, Kernan has named the same starting fifteen that demolished Donegal by 3-15 to 0-11 in the northern provincial decider.

Kernan introduced five substitutes during the course of the Ulster final, bringing in Brian Mallon, John Toal, Justin McNulty, John McEntee and Andrew McCann when the game was out of sight, but they will all sit out the start of this one again.

On announcing his side Kernan said that it would be difficult for Armagh to perform at the same level they produced in the Donegal game.

“If people have any sense they will be fully aware that a team can’t turn on a high performance like a tap.

“There are teams in England and all over the world getting paid large amounts of money and yet they can’t be relied on to produce top performances week-in, week-out,” he said.

But Kernan continued: “These boys continue to amaze with the hunger, appetite and enthusiasm with which they play their football.

“A lot of the lads have been around for a good number of years and their appetite to win more honours hasn’t waned a bit with the passage of time.

“Certainly the All-Ireland win in 2002 gave them a massive amount of satisfaction but they desperately don’t want to be known as the team that won just one All-Ireland.”

However, Kernan said he was wary of the threat posed by Fermanagh.

“There is no pressure on them going into this quarter-final.

“I thought they played some brilliant, simple football in their game against Cork and they have been improving on every outing this season.

“They will put it up to us, of that you can be sure.”

Meanwhile, Mayo manager John Maughan has made two changes on his side to meet Tyrone in the second quarter-final at Headquarters on Saturday, despite his side’s runaway 2-13 to 0-9 victory over Roscommon in the Connacht final.

Peter Burke, who missed the victories over Galway and Roscommon, because of a recurrence of a knee injury, returns to the goalkeeping position in place of his understudy, Fintan Ruddy.

In the only other change, Peader Gardiner is preferred at right half-back to Gary Mullins.

ARMAGH (SFC v Fermanagh): P. Hearty; E. McNulty, F. Bellew, A. Mallon; K. Hughes, K. McGeeney, A. O’Rourke; P. Loughran, P. McGrane; P. McKeever, T. McEntee, O. McConville; S. McDonnell, R. Clarke, D. Marsden.

MAYO (SFC v Tyrone): P. Burke; C. Moran, D. Heaney, G. Ruane; P. Gardiner, J. Nallon, F. Costello; D. Brady, R. McGarrity; J. Gill, K. McDonald, A. Dillon; C. Mortimer, T. Mortimer, B. Maloney.