Armagh need no motivation this weekend as they take on Donegal, who hammered the Orchard County by 12 points last year.
There’s no doubt the men in orange and white are still hurting from that day, and now have the chance to right those wrongs.
Injuries may deter their chance of victory, but they must show a reaction and tonight’s encounter is all about putting in a battling performance against a top contender.
Barry O’Hagan has been there and done that for Armagh and he told The Sideline Eye Podcast that the players will be thinking of revenge, although they may not say it.
“You hear in the modern game a lot of players and managers that don’t talk about revenge or it’s about this game or the process.
Donegal have beat Armagh, I don’t know how many times in a row and that has got to be weighing on the players minds”.
“They’ve got to be going out looking to get one over on Donegal, particularly with Michael Murphy not available, a couple of other minor injuries that they have.
This is an opportunity for Armagh to put but rights of last November, or whenever they played the semi-final, they need to put that right”.
Donegal have held the upper hand over their Orchard rivals in recent years. Armagh’s last league victory over the Tir Chonaill men was back in 2012, their last year in the topflight.
“Out in the media now players are probably told what to say and not really what they think, they’d give the opposition ammunition.
There’s no top player that doesn’t have revenge on their mind in any sport if somebody has beat you”.
“I go back to when Rory Gallagher was running Donegal, they gave us a bit of a trouncing in the Athletic Grounds.
There’s a lot of those Donegal players still playing, some of the Armagh boys are still about, so that has to be in the back of your mind. That you need to right the wrong”.
If Geezer’s side can get a victory tonight, there’s no telling what that confidence could do for them later in the summer.
“This Armagh team are going along the right way, but they have to take a big scalp. There’s no good beating a team and then having a dodgy performance the next day.
This is a very, very important game for Armagh and they can gather momentum if they do get a big win against Donegal, regardless of, if Michael Murphy is playing or not.
The energy that this could give this Armagh team going forward into the summer, maintaining our Division One status, finally getting the Donegal monkey off their back, that’s vital”.
“I have no doubt that Geezer and the three Ciaran’s are drumming that into the Armagh players this week.
Armagh players put a lot of time and effort in, they have pride. They do not want to be getting another defeat to Donegal this weekend”.
