‘Hungry’ Armagh raring to go
Jamie Clarke apologises about his malfunctioning mobile but it’s done its job in regulating the inundation of well-wishers and people wanting a piece of the 21-year-old.
Described by his Crossmaglen club-mate Joe Kernan this past week as, potentially, the next Colm Cooper, Clarke has kept his wits about him. He’s suddenly become box office.
The goal against Down last day out signalled he was ready to carry on where he left off in March’s All-Ireland Club final where he gave a sublime performance.
However, the signs were obvious there was something about Clarke 12 months previous when he goaled against Derry and then followed it up with two in a qualifier with Donegal on his home pitch.
Working in The Irish News’ marketing department in Belfast as part of his university course, he’s been approached by the odd one or two inquisitive journalists ahead of tomorrow’s Ulster semi-final against Derry.
“They haven’t been pestering me that much,” he laughs. “They’d be looking for other people’s numbers but they’re not too bad. The marketing department is far away from the sports one!”
Captain Stevie McDonnell has been talking to him about the perils of going for goals early in games and how missed opportunities so soon into proceedings can set the tone. Clarke sure has a knack of getting out of the blocks quickly. Of the four goals he’s scored in his six SFC games, two have come inside the first five minutes, while his one in Celtic Park last year was his first touch of the game after coming on as a substitution.
“Stevie tells me I sometimes go for goal too much, which is something I have to consider,” he admits.
Clarke is not too bewildered by how the pundits appear to have completely changed their opinion on Armagh. After surviving Allianz Division 1, the team were castigated as fodder for Down before they upset the odds in the Morgan Athletic Grounds.
But without the Crossmaglen players in the panel for the majority of the campaign, Armagh were a depleted team. When the All-Ireland club champions returned, they were a different animal.
“After we won the All-Ireland, we ideally wanted a break because it was hard to get motivated getting back to square one,” says Clarke of the Crossmaglen contingent.
“But because it was Down and they reached the All-Ireland final last year, we were looking forward to it. Once we came in, we gave the boys a lift. The press were mentioning the Cross boys are back and I think the effect was psychological more than anything.
“Getting the win over Down was a huge lift for us as a team because we’re spending so much time with each other now. It’s brought us on more as a team.”
Paddy O’Rourke’s introduction of Oisín McConville and Paul McGrane to the coaching ticket also breathed new life into the players as well as instilling a different game plan, more suitable to the stylish players such as Clarke and McDonnell.
“With the two boys, we have a new brand of football. We’re moving the ball fast and long, in a more traditional way. Against Down it showed and early on they couldn’t cope with it at all. They had their spells after but we found our way again.
“The two boys have given everyone a huge lift. Everyone is on the pitch early for training, they’re raring to go. You can see the hunger in training, how much everyone wants it and those boys have been there and done it.
“There’s pressure on us but we’re happy with the way we’re playing. It’s nice that Armagh are being recognised again.”
Clarke knows Derry could undo all that, though. A new manager in John Brennan, he expects, will get more out of them. But he expects to get more out of himself. No worries.
LARGELY because it’s the only football game this weekend, Armagh’s form coming into it has been exaggerated and their victory over Down has been amplified as the finest win of the championship.
It wasn’t. Armagh went almost 25 minutes without scoring that night and their opposition was under-firing. Their defence’s foul count was unacceptably high as well.
If the exceptional Jamie Clarke is glued to, Steven McDonnell is sure to reap some of the benefits. Billy Joe Padden always managed to put two great games together for Mayo so the onus is on him to follow up on his great showing against Down.
For Derry, Eoin Bradley’s presents a real threat while Enda Muldoon is still a game-changer. Factor in Mark Lynch and another savvy forward in Conleth Gilligan and there’s no doubt Derry possess decent attack.
But it’s in defence and around midfield where Armagh are going to ask most questions of them. Enough to keep the ball out of Bradley’s hands will be enough to win this by two or three points.
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