Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TAKE KER, LADS
Aaron can see a path to provincial decider for Mcgeeney’s men
ARMAGH have their best chance to reach an Ulster final since 2008 after being handed a favourable draw, says former star Aaron Kernan.
With holders Cavan, Tyrone and Donegal all on one side, along with Down and Derry, it means every Anglo-celt Cup winner since 2016 is in the bottom half, with Armagh and Monaghan the fancied sides in the top half.
Armagh have been paired with Antrim which, remarkably, is the first pairing of the counties in the provincial Championship since 1982. Their only Championship meeting since was in a qualifier tie in 2003, just before Kernan was called into the panel by his father, Joe.
He said: “In a province like Ulster you would have felt like you had come up against everybody but, no, it’s a rare fixture. I was born in ‘83 so I’ve never seen this contest taking place in Ulster.
“I’d be very, very hopeful we’re well capable of making it to an Ulster final. It’ll be a sticky enough game with Antrim.
“I know they’ve Enda Mcginley now and he’s in his first year, and Stephen O’neill, but will they have enough time to put their own stamp on it with three League games and how rushed everything’s going to be?”
Monaghan don’t have continuity on the management front either with Farney boss Seamus Mcenaney to be suspended come the start of the Championship.
Kernan continued: “Monaghan have enough of their own distractions. I still see them having enough to get over Fermanagh but, again, I believe it’s time for Armagh to take the next step and, for me, the next step is beating a Division One team like Monaghan.
“I think, personally, it’s a bit like when Monaghan beat us in 2010 I think it was, they gave us a bit of a spanking up in Casement Park.
“Their good team is on the way down whereas I believe Armagh are on the way up.
“I think there’s no better opportunity for them to get back to an Ulster final because it is hard to believe it’s ‘08 since we featured in one, let alone win one, so in terms of progression for this group, they have to make it to an Ulster final.”
Armagh and Monaghan are both in Division One North and open their League campaign against each other next month.
Kernan added: “Armagh need to win. They need to get off to a good start in the League and retain their status in there but, more importantly, to give them the confidence and self belief that that is the standard they’re capable of playing at and playing at consistently.
“The biggest problem we have had since we had that golden generation has been consistency. So whenever our All-ireland winning players finished up around ‘07, ‘08, ‘09, ever since then, any Armagh team I was a part of, we struggled so badly to put back-to-back performances together.”