This Armagh team are really going

goal from play in the last two games.

What will excite those in Armagh is how, in his fifth year in the manager’s role, Kieran McGeeney seems to be gathering the best available panel ahead of a Division Two campaign that begins with a trip to Kildare.

Jamie Clarke converted a penalty in his first game back, and was introduced after 25 minutes in the one-point win against Monaghan in midweek.

Stefan Campbell collected two man of the match awards in a few days, while vastly underrated full-forward Andrew Murnin is nursing a sore knee back into the ways of pre-season after doing some travelling in Thailand.

Now for Armagh, it’s a Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup semi-final in Omagh against Donegal. It’s been a quarter of a century since Armagh last won the competition and Donegal were second only to the Orchard in scoring difference after winning their three group games against Cavan, Down and Queen’s.

The Ulster champions are down almost a dozen players, with veterans such as Frank McGlynn and Anthony Thompson not called into action yet.

Captain Michael Murphy had a routine procedure last week to clean out his knee in Santry Sports Clinic while several Gaoth Dobhair players are preparing for their All-Ireland semi-final against Corofin next month.

Still, McGeeney is wary of Declan Bonner’s men.

“When you’re at that level, even your second team’s strong. They were Ulster champions last year, they pushed every team they played in the Super 8s as well and you even hear the Donegal players saying it’s the strongest panel they’ve had,” noted McGeeney.

“They haven’t Neil McGee and