Armagh fans will witness a host of fresh faces in the Athletic Grounds this evening. The Orchard County take on Tyrone at 7.15pm to raise funds for the Time2Play James Reel Playpark.
The Orchard County are likely to field an inexperienced team, as manager Kieran McGeeney gets a look at some of his new recruits.
“We have a lot of new faces and I’m sure Tyrone will be the same,” said Geezer.
Fresh faces
“We have Joe Sheridan, Niall Smith (both Madden), Ben Crealey’s back in from last year, Ciaran Higgins (both Maghery)”.
“Tomas McCormack from Annaghmore, Caolan Donaghy from Clonmore as well, Cian McConville from Crossmaglen”.
Others called up to the county team include Carrickcruppen’s Eoin Woods, Vincy Brady of Pearse Og, Ryan Garvey from Culloville and Mullaghbawn’s Patrick McAleer.
“We have a lot of new faces that you’re going to see. But then we have players like Aidan Nugent, Jason Duffy, Niall Rowland, Paddy Burns, Ross Finn, players like that. That we would have hoped to have seen more of last year, but we didn’t”.
Geezer praised the standard of the club championship as well as the Orchard Academy for helping the younger players through.
“A lot of young good players coming at the minute. Armagh club football has really progressed, I think, over the last seven or eight years”.
“Some of them are carrying injuries. Young Kieran Doyle from Granemore for example, played really well but he’s a tough knee injury at the minute”.
Club championship
“I enjoyed the championship this year. Clans are playing a brand of football, ‘we’re not going to win, we’re not going to win, then we’re going to win’. They leave it to the last minute but some of the stuff that they’ve done has been very good”.
“A lot of young good players coming through and I think that’s testament to Paul McGrane and Denis Hollywood and Aidan O’Rourke with the academy squads. They’re doing a good job”.
“It’s been great for club football. We’ve had Harps and Maghery and Clann Eireann, Ballymacnab have been pushing hard too behind the scenes and so have Granemore”.
“For 22 years we’d only one (winner) so it’s a great thing for club football and I’m hoping with a couple of new faces too that it’ll get more people out”.
“Some are them are going really well in the club championship, they’ve been flying, I’ve been impressed with a lot of them, it’s just a pity one or two of them have picked up a couple of injuries”.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what they do when given the chance at a higher level. I don’t think any of them will be out of place, I genuinely don’t”.
