STEFAN Forker was a county minor during the golden age of Armagh football. He lined out in the 2005 Ulster decider against Down in Croke Park, a curtain raiser to Armagh’s senior clash with Tyrone.
The Orchard youngsters edged out the Mourne men by the minimum of margins while the seniors needed a replay to see off their old foes but by the end of the summer, both of Armagh’s rivals were crowned All-Ireland champions.
19 years on and Forker is helping the next generation of Armagh footballers make the breakthrough and they’ve already made plenty of progress, winning the Ulster League Shield at the start of April before qualifying for the Ulster final.
It’s been a decade since Armagh reached the provincial showpiece at this age grade and even longer since they won the title (2009), but they face a stiff challenge in Omagh this Sunday as they meet reigning Ulster and All-Ireland champions Derry.
“I’m just delighted for the boys,” said Forker, who is part of Aidan O’Rourke’s management team.
“They’ve put in a big body of work since November time, worked hard in training. We asked a lot of them, and you just want boys that are working hard to get their just rewards.
“Sometimes you don’t get it but this time, at this stage, it’s going well, so it’s good to be there. Plus, the big thing was, I suppose the Ulster final is the gateway to the All-Ireland quarters, which is really the big thing as well.
“I’m glad we’re still in the main competition to be honest. It’s great and the league/championship format, games week on week, training, preparing for each game, from a coaching point of view, it’s good, we enjoy it and the games are coming thick and fast.
“I’m sure the boys are enjoying it too. We’ll be going out to win the game but it’s nice to know that it’s not just going to fall off a cliff here on Sunday (if we lose). I’m enjoying it and the boys are enjoying it too so the more the better.”
Armagh have already encountered the might of the Oak Leaf County in the group stages and Damian McErlain’s side chalked up a commanding 17-point victory on home turf to top the group and advance straight to the last four.
“We thought we were well prepared and obviously that wasn’t the case but they’re a super team. They have experience and quality all over the pitch and they obviously haven’t been beaten so their confidence is sky high, as it should be.
“They’re coming off the back of good schools, good clubs and we know to challenge them, we’re going to have to be at the peak of our power so hopefully the boys are at the pitch of it, and we can give a better account of ourselves.
“From our point of view, if we put the same effort, energy, quality on the ball or lack of quality on the ball (as the last day), then the result will be something similar,” added the Maghery clubman.
“It was a good indicator, we’re capable of beating anybody in the country but if we’re not at it and all the ingredients of hard work and everything else aren’t there, we can be as poor as anybody.
“It was hopefully a wake-up call that we don’t want again and one we can’t afford to take again. It was 17 points, I don’t think anybody would be looking at a 17-point defeat and trying to pull anything out of it.”
