Kieran McGeeney joy as Armagh get 'monkey off their back'

admin admin | 06-30 08:15

"It wasn't one of our best performances, we’ve played better here and lost," he said. "So maybe it's a good sign for the boys, they've been having a tremendous year so far.

Armagh's Tiernan Kelly (right) attempts to block down Roscommon's Conor Cox

"Today just wasn't maybe as slick as we would normally like. It was just poor skills at times, missing easy scores, that sort of stuff. But putting up 18 scores is still good on a bad day.

"We’re over the moon to get across the line. It's been a sort of monkey off her back and hopefully the fellas can go out now and express themselves the next day.

"Rian [O’Neill’s] frees were off and so were Rory [Grugan’s]. It’s been a long week with Rory's brother getting married and all those sorts of things. They take more out of you than people would think."

McGeeney claimed that no matter who his side face in the semi-finals they will go into the game as underdogs but he’s happy to sit back and watch how the other games play out now.

"It's massive, no matter who we play, we'll go in as underdogs," he said. "Which probably suits Armagh.

"We’ll have three big games now in front of everybody. But I suppose for the next 24 hours we can sit back and enjoy it for a change."

Armagh’s return to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland coincides with the new championship format and while there have been critics of the set-up, McGeeney is very much a fan.

"The system as it stands is the best ever," he said. "I've been playing inter-county and been involved since the mid-80s, like, and the old system was really bad.

"It was training all the time, training before Christmas, training over Christmas. It was all silly stuff.

"We start now, we have a proper pre-season. It’s league games every week, you're going into a championship. You still have the provincial championship, but you have a league-based system for the championship.

"Every game means something. People are giving out about it but you'll not find a player giving out about it.

"Even with the Tailteann Cup for teams like Westmeath and Louth, teams like ourselves that have benefited from that league system. It gives you big games to iron things out because you lose players if you keep losing every year.

"I think it's a great system and. I just think if we're a wee bit more positive… I get a lot of stick about not smiling. There's a few boys on TV that could do with smiling as well."

Roscommon manager Davy Burke had travelled to Croke Park hoping for an early positive platform to give the underdogs oxygen, but it proved to be anything but as David Murray and Ultan Harney had to be replaced early on because of injury while Fallon's red card also left them fighting the numbers game.

Davy Burke leaves the pitch with his son Shea after the game

"You couldn’t have scripted how badly it went for us," he said.

"David Murray is a central player for us, Ultan Harney is a key player. Two injuries in the first 15 minutes and then Ruaidhri getting a red card before half time.

"On the back of three weeks in a row, it’s tough. Three weeks in a row is no excuse but playing (after) three weeks in a row with 14 men isn't going to work against a team as conditioned as well as Armagh."

Even with 14 players, Roscommon came out strongly in the second half and their Ulster opponents were really struggling to shake them off.

Then came Turbitt’s goal when Conor Carroll and Niall Higgins were caught out when a short kick-out routine went awry.

"That was the turning of the game," Burke continued.

"I really felt we were right in it. At half time we were very relaxed, believe it or not.

"The way the game was so cagey it was never going to be that big of a factor, the red card. It was all about controlling the game and looking after the ball.

"It's just a pity for Conor and Niall Higgins, they got turned over. Conor Turbitt put it in the net and fair play to him."

Despite defeat, Burke was in a positive mood and praised his players after they revived a difficult 2024 with back-to-back wins over Cavan and Tyrone prior to Saturday’s loss.

"It’s been great to finish with a couple of wins, obviously today is not the day we wanted it to finish, but at least we turned it.

"Fair play to the boys, they have been a credit. It's very easy to turn away when you’re relegated in the National League and things are going against you. Connacht didn’t go our way.

"Fair play to that group of lads, I couldn’t be prouder."

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