​Armagh largely ‘outstanding’ but not perfect against Derry says manager Kieran McGeeney

Armagh led by six points during the first half, which Derry cut down to a three-point half-time lead. The Orchard men then led by 13 points during the second half, but Derry outscored Armagh 2-4 to 0-1 in the closing stages and made them work hard to hold onto the win.

“It (the win) is huge,” McGeeney told the media post-match.

“We knew they had six or seven weeks to prepare for this one game, and we knew we were going to need to be good.

“For the first 25 minutes of each half, we were outstanding and then we went to sleep but that's not an excuse, if you do that against good teams then that's what happens, two goals go into the back of your net.

“Especially with the two-pointers, it can just turn and especially with the new rules, a couple of decisions can go against you and next thing it's seven or eight points on the board.

“You look at everything, you don't want to take away from what they're doing well and you want to repeat that and the things that you're not doing well, you want to stop it.”

It could be argued that Armagh showed signs of fatigue coming down the home stretch, having played a 90-minute match at full throttle against Donegal in the Ulster Final two weeks prior.

Conversely, Derry had seven weeks in between games after their Ulster Championship run came to an end at the Preliminary Round.

However, McGeeney refused to use the condensed season as an excuse, saying that the GAA are ‘close enough to the sweet spot’ with their current format.

“I think it's something you have to get used to.

“There are a lot of things I suppose you could help but I think no matter what we do, we cry about it so it's an Irish thing maybe, or maybe it's a GAA thing.

“Before it was four weeks between Championship games, but it was too much and people were looking to move it back and were saying it's going against this and it's going against that.

“I still believe that we're close enough to the sweet spot at the minute, I genuinely do. I do think they need to let control a wee bit in terms of pre-season and getting people right.

“It seems to be a mix of people trying to make names for themselves rather than letting the people who actually know what they're talking about. Like nobody does extra training that's going to flog anyone anymore.

“That's what they did when I was playing, 12 weeks of running and sharpen up with a couple of sprints at the end but those days are well gone, it's all football now and as I said, I think we're close enough to the sweet spot. There are things that we could maybe let go of a wee bit.”

Getting the bodies right physically after their gruelling game against Donegal was one job for McGeeney and his coaching team, but they also had to get the players mentally right after a third-straight Ulster Final defeat.

“The landscape is changing in terms of provincial titles, like whether it matters what anybody wants to say and I know they're changing things to try and bring that back, but that's the reality,” McGeeney reflected, suggesting that there are bigger prizes to play for later on in the summer.

“Like everybody grades you in the next biggest step and that's just the way things have become.

“So, listen, it wasn't because they have scaled a certain height there at this stage and they have that (the All-Ireland title) in their back pocket, but that can come at a cost, as well as a gift in terms of, you mightn't be as hungry then, pushing forward.

“But in fairness to the guys, they're pushing hard for positions and we're just hoping that continues over the next couple of weeks because you go to sleep against some of these teams and it's just bang, bang, bang the way the game is.”

There is no time for rest or reprieve as the games continue to come thick and fast, as Armagh head to Croke Park to face Dublin this Sunday.

And whilst having the two points on the board in the group may have allowed supporters to rest a little bit easier on Saturday night, McGeeney refuted the notion that Armagh have a little bit of leeway heading into this weekend’s game.

“You always have to be careful what you say, as we found out in these groups because it's so tight.

“With four teams you could think after two wins that you're sitting top and you're home and dry and the next thing results go the other way and it can just flip.

“I'm sure Dessie [Farrell, Dublin manager] was watching there tonight and rubbing his hands at how easy the goals went in at the end, he'll have his homework done. The two of us go back a long way and he knows what he's at.”