O’Neill out of Armagh clash

TYRONE’S preparations for next Saturday’s high-profile qualifier against Armagh have been rocked with confirmation that Stephen O’Neill has been ruled out of the tie after aggravating a hamstring injury.

O’Neill missed the win over Longford 10 days ago with the complaint, but was hopeful of being fit to face the Orchard men. However, he caused further damage to the hamstring during training on Saturday.

Mickey Harte will have midfielder Kevin Hughes and defender Martin Swift available again for the Healy Park clash. Like O’Neill, both missed the Longford game through injury.

It is three years since Tyrone contested an All-Ireland final and eight since Armagh made it through to September but Aaron Kernan believes that a win next weekend could help catapult the victors to a lengthy summer run. It is, regardless of the bigger championship picture, a mouth-watering tie and one that Armagh come to after an impressive win over Mick O’Dwyer’s Wicklow.

“I’d say in general it is a neighbours thing for the people in the counties,” said the Armagh wing-back. “In south Armagh our main rivalry would be Down. I would imagine that 2003 and the three games in 2005 is where the big rivalry was built.

“But we have probably slipped back from those days when we were competing for All-Ireland semi-finals and finals. That is where we want to get back to again. If we got over next week it would be a great launching pad for it.”

Armagh’s record in the qualifiers has been mixed, with decent runs in 2001 and 2003 giving way to successive one-game appearances in 2007 and 2009 while Dublin ended a three-game campaign through the back door in 2010.

He said: “It (the qualifiers) reminds me of when I first started playing club league football and you were playing every week, making mistakes but learning.

” All form will go out the window next week because it is a derby game. It is one I am looking forward because the matches in 2005 were great games. We didn’t come out the right end of them. I am looking forward to Omagh next week. Hopefully another packed house with another good atmosphere.”