IT’S the small margins that often play massive parts in the winning and losing of a game. For all six teams making the exciting journey to Croke Park this weekend, they’ll know that it’s the minor moments that could seal their fate.
A finger-tip block here, a mistimed jump there. As Al Pacino described in his famous ‘Any Given Sunday’ speech, “it’s a game of inches”. When they swing in your favour, it feels like your day, when they don’t, well that’s another story.
Steven McDonnell knows all about the game of inches. That Al Pacino speech was the backdrop to Armagh’s voyage towards Sam Maguire back in 2002, and when it came to the decider against Kerry, it was the small margins that earned Joe Kernan’s men the win.
Kerry were rampant in the first half and carried a four-point lead into the interval. A rousing team talk from Kernan inspired the men in orange and white and they drove on in the second half, thanks to a goal from man of the match Oisin McConville.
McDonnell fired over the game winning score with 12 minutes still remaining on the clock as the Orchard County chalked up a first ever championship victory over Kerry. Today, Kieran McGeeney’s side are searching for a second and they’ll be relying on those small inches.
“What I like about Armagh at the minute is, there’s a calmness about them,” said McDonnell ahead of Armagh’s seventh championship meeting with the Kingdom. “They don’t seem to panic.
“Even when Galway were beating them by four or five points (in the group stages), you always felt they would create an opportunity to get them back into the game and they done that.
“I think they’ll have a lot of confidence; a team really has to be on their A game if they’re going to beat this Armagh team. If Armagh can just get the right balance between defence and attack, then I can see it going their way.”
It’s been 21 years since Armagh contested an All-Ireland final and that was the one and only all-Ulster All-Ireland final between themselves and old foes Tyrone, with the Red Hands collecting their maiden title.
Armagh and Donegal wouldn’t mind a repeat of that historic day. That was the first time two teams from the same province competed in an All-Ireland decider. While McDonnell feels Armagh will be there, he isn’t so sure about Donegal.
“It all depends on Shane Walsh’s fitness,” added the 2003 Footballer of the Year. “If Shane Walsh takes to the field fit, then Galway will win. If he doesn’t, then I would give Donegal every chance.”
While Armagh and Donegal are chasing the dream of an All-Ireland final appearance, Down head to Jones’ Road hoping to earn the right to battle it out for Sam Maguire next season.
An old teammate of McDonnell, Justin McNulty, has reinvigorated Laois, so the Mourne men won’t have it all their own way, but silverware is in touching distance, and only a win will do for Conor Laverty’s charges.
