Ciarán McKeever: Armagh must show killer instinct

They stumbled in Croke Park last year with the winning post in sight, and Ciarán McKeever hopes to see Armagh unveil a new ruthless streak against Donegal on Sunday.

The Armagh captain, ruled out with a foot injury when the sides met in last year’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final, could only sit and watch as his young team-mates allowed Donegal to wriggle free when they had a major scalp at their mercy. Michael Murphy saved Donegal with a 68th-minute equaliser and within a minute, Paddy McBrearty snatched the winning score, as the relieved Ulster champions somehow emerged victorious, by 1-12 to 1-11.

Killer instinct was a quality Armagh used to possess in spades around a decade ago, and it’s something this new team is having to learn the hard way.