Division 1A throw up some interesting results in 2020 and the intrigue will continue into next year.
Dromintee were the surprise package of the campaign and currently sit top of the pile.
There’s a lot of points till up for grabs, with plenty of teams hoping to break into the top four and consolidate their place.
Dromintee:
Perhaps one of the favourites to be relegated from the division at the start of the year, Dromintee’s season went in the opposite direction.
The claimed five victories from six games to slot in at top of the table, five points ahead of the next challenger.
They looked to carry their terrific league form into championship season but faced stiff opposition in the opening round.
Maghery were too strong and experienced and Dromintee exited the scene early but will hope to build on their great from in 2021.
Ballymacnab:
Not the year the Nab would have wanted, they experience some mixed form throughout the league, losing three of six outings.
However, those three wins see them sit second from the top, just one point ahead of the county champions Maghery.
After reaching two county finals in a row, Ballymacnab were victims of the knockout format in the championship this season.
Madden were the better side in their opening round clash and knocked the Nab out at the earliest stage.
Maghery:
League champions 2019. Count champions 2020. Things can’t have been much better for Finnian Moriarty’s Maghery in the last two seasons.
They lay down a marker in the opening round of the league, beating Crossmaglen by a single point and hit form during the championship.
They struggled against Dromintee and Clann Eireann, edging through both encounters before defeating Pearse Ogs in the last four.
Maghery showed serious confidence and their targeting of goals upset the favourites Crossmaglen to secure only the second Senior title ever.
Crossmaglen:
Any year the Rangers fail to lift the Gerry Fegan trophy is a failure, but Cross remain one of the best sides in the county.
They displayed some defensive fragilities in the league, most notably shipping seven goals against Ballymacnab.
They sauntered through the opening rounds of the championship, hammering Silverbridge and Mullaghbawn before scrapping past Killeavy.
They performed well in the county final, but Maghery’s four goals went unmatched and Cross will learn their harsh lessons for next season.
Armagh Harps:
The Harps experienced a shockingly poor start to the league campaign and were sitting bottom for longer than they would have liked.
However, a couple of wins shot them up the table and they were beginning to find form under new management before games were suspended.
Championship also didn’t go to plan, although they were ten points better than St Peter’s in the opening round.
Killeavy outfought the Harps in the quarter finals and the city side will hope to improve their league form when action returns.
Pearse Ogs:
Shane McConville has transformed the Ogs from an inconsistent side to genuine contenders in two seasons and will hope to continue to improve in 2021.
The Ogs only won two of their five league outings, the most eye catching coming against eventual county champions Maghery.
They are currently level on points with Granemore, Harps and Crossmaglen and will target a top four finish when the league recommences.
Wins in the championship over Cullyhanna and Madden allowed the Ogs to reach the last four but came up against an inform Maghery team.
Granemore:
Granemore’s position in the league doesn’t highlight the great start they made to the 2020 season before falling out of form.
Wins over Maghery and Harps allowed Eamon Kavanagh’s side to build some early momentum heading into the championship.
Granemore currently have a game in hand over the Ogs and two compared to the Harps and will hope to break into the top four to secure their place in the division.
They were edged out by Clann Eireann in the opening round of the championship, although slight favourites heading into the encounter.
Killeavy:
It seemed that league Killeavy and championship Killeavy were two very different sides in the 2020 season.
In the league, they picked up an opening day win over Pearse Ogs, securing their only points of the campaign.
However, when championship came calling, Killeavy found their stride and beat Grange after extra time before seeing off the Harps.
They displayed all their talent and quality in the semi-final vs Cross and were close to securing a famous victory. A side to watch out for next year.
