Ballyhegan will be keen to bounce back after their Junior Championship final defeat when they compete in Ulster this weekend.
Due to the rule that seconds teams can’t feature in the provincial stage, Ballyhegan will be Armagh’s representatives.
Clann Eireann IIs were extremely impressive in winning the Sean Quinn Cup, beating Ballyhegan 4-12 to 1-8.
But Saturday’s clash with Tyrone champions Fintona offers Barry Murphy’s side a shot at redemption.
Fintona were victorious over Drumragh Sarsfields in the Tyrone Junior Championship final, winning by one-point.
Liam McCarroll claimed the all-important goal for Fintona as they won by the minimum of margins, 1-10 to 0-12.
It was the second time Fintona ever one the competition, ending a 48-year wait for the Pat Darcy Cup.
This time they look forward to a title at the provincial competition for the first time in their history.
Ballyhegan have been here before of course, having won the Armagh Junior Championship back in 2017.
Their Ulster campaign was short and sweet as they were knocked out by Derry champions Doire Trasna in the first round.
Experienced heads such as Mark Hughes and Conor Morgan featured at that time and remain key players.
However, the addition of the likes of Peter McGrane and James McCormack have been key to Ballyhegan this season.
McGrane can play in several different positions but looks best suited to a man-marking role and shutting down the oppositions best forward.
McCormack is the score-getter at the other end of the field, and he finished the JFC as the top scorer in the competition.
Jack Rafferty remains a big loss for Ballyhegan while Jonny McKeever is unlikely to feature this weekend.
Armagh don’t have a good record at this grade in Ulster, but Ballyhegan will see it as a free hit. They’ll be determined to improve on their Junior final display.
