When the draw was made for the TG4 Ladies Senior Football Championship it threw up some brilliant matches and none will whet the appetite for championship action more than the meeting of Armagh and Waterford in Clane (2pm) tomorrow.
These two sides have plenty of recent history.
It was Waterford that Armagh defeated in Croke Park in 2012 to seal their return to the senior ranks and they defeated the same opposition in the NFL Division Three final in 2014 as they began their ascent to the top division.
Waterford have since followed suit with their own TG4 All-Ireland victory last year and NFL Division Three promotion this year but memories of those defeats will be sure to motivate the Decies.
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Armagh had been enjoying a very positive 2016 but then the wheels came off when they were knocked out of the Ulster championship by a rejuvenated Monaghan side in the semi-final.
They will be forced to line out without the injured Sinead Kernan and the unavailable Lauren McConville this weekend but there is still loads of talent in the team.
Mairead Tennyson leads the team from corner-back with Fionnuala McKenna reprising her playmaking role at centre-back.
Caroline O’Hanlon will, as always, be expected to provide the inspiration from midfield, while Kelly Mallon and the excellent Aimee Mackin have the potential to unlock any defence.
Waterford had a tough introduction to senior football losing out to both Cork and Kerry in the Munster championship but they will be very encouraged by the displays that they gave.
Their defence is particularly strong with the Ballymacabry trio of Mairead and Linda Wall, along with Michelle McGrath, forming a watertight full-back line.
Emma Murray and her sister Katie will provide youthful exuberance, while Maria Delahunty is excellent from placed balls. Aileen Wall is their ace in the hold as she will start the match from the bench.
This will be a very intense and tight match as neither team will want to be the first to be knocked out of the championship.
There will be very little between the sides but Armagh will have the upper hand in terms of senior championship experience.
