WHEN Armagh last reached the final of the All-Ireland Minor Championship back in 2009, they had to see off Mayo on their way to landing the Tom Markham Cup for the first time in 60 years.
This Sunday, Mayo are again the obstacle the Orchard County must scale, although it’s only at the semi-final stage this time around. Should Armagh come out on top, they’ll line out on All-Ireland final day for just the sixth time in the counties history.
15 years is a long time and when Aidan O’Rourke’s youthful side take the field at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, Longford, they’ve already gone further than ever other minor side that has gone before them in the intervening years.
This Armagh team has ended a lot of long waits for the county. They collected silverware this year, with an Ulster League Shield title, reached an Ulster final for the first time in since 2014, and compete in the last four of the All-Ireland series for the first time in 15 years.
Armagh have quality all throughout the field and can mix up their game plan to suit the opposition. In the Ulster final against reigning All-Ireland champions Derry, it was very much a war of attrition, which they lost by two in the end.
The last day out was a completely different game however as Armagh dismissed Leinster champions Longford with the minimum of fuss and were able to display their attacking talents that day.
Defenders Conal Wilson (0-3) and Diarmuid O’Rourke (0-6) shared 0-9 between them while captain Shea Loughran rattled off an impressive tally of 1-2 as Armagh opened up a 13-point gap by the time the full-time whistle sounded.
Jack Loughran, a Hurling College All-Star this season, has formed a formidable midfield partnership with Daithi O’Callaghan while anyone of the starting front six can take the mantle of leading scorer.
Mayo had their own impressive quarter-final victory as they hammered Cork by 17-points and the three-in-a-row Connacht champions have plenty of players that Armagh will have to keep and eye on.
Centre half forward Kobe McDonald, donning the jersey of his father and Mayo legend Ciaran, has been in sparkling form and kicked 1-6 the last day out while Oisin Deane finished with 2-3 to his name.
McDonald, a chip off the old block, is the top scorer right across the All-Ireland Minor Championship with 4-27, while his Crossmolina clubmate Deane also has a swift eye for goal and has racked up 4-10 in their six games to date.
Not only are the Westerners quality on the front foot, but they have a defensive structure that has been unbreachable recently, led by captain and vice-captain Tom Hession and Mark Noonan, who control the centre of their defence.
Mayo haven’t conceded a goal in their last four outings and have only had 0-31 scored against them in that same time frame. It’s a big ask for the Orchard County and they will certainly be up against it in a game that could go right down to the wire.
