CONOR Murray has emerged as a major injury doubt for Antrim ahead of their Ulster SFC clash with Armagh at the Athletic Grounds next Sunday, July 4.
The Lámh Dhearg attacker tweaked his hamstring at training last week and faces a race against time to prove his fitness for the meeting with the Orchard County.
Mark Sweeney has also suffered another injury setback, while Mick McCann may be fit to play some part against Armagh having missed the Division Four League campaign with a calf muscle injury.
Despite Antrim’s injury concerns, Armagh selector Kieran Donaghy insists the hosts will need to be at their best to defeat the Saffrons.
Enda McGinley’s men won each of their Division Four North games by a single point, defeating Louth, Sligo and Leitrim before claiming a 1-15 to 0-11 win over Waterford in Dungarvan to clinch promotion.
Armagh are overwhelming favourites to progress to a semi-final meeting with either Monaghan and Fermanagh after Kieran McGeeney’s side retained their Division One status with an impressive 1-17 to 0-11 win over Roscommon.
Yet, former Kerry ace Donaghy, who joined McGeeney’s backroom team ahead of this year’s campaign, stressed that Armagh won’t underestimate their opponents.
“We have a huge chance to go out against a very good Antrim side and put in a performance,” said Donaghy.
“When it comes to knockout Championship football that's the way it has to be. Antrim will be coming with such confidence, they haven't lost a game this year – they've won four and they've won all types of tight games, they've won games that haven't been the prettiest but they figured out a way to win and winning is a habit.
“They are a very dangerous obstacle and we have to be playing at our best and delivering on the stuff that we're working on the training field.”
Kieran Donaghy. ©INPHO/Tommy Dickson
Armagh can ill-afford to be complacent as they’ve suffered quarter-final defeats to Down, Cavan and Fermanagh during McGeeney’s tenure.
They defeated Derry by two points in Celtic Park last year before losing out to a rampant Donegal side 1-22 to 0-13 in the Ulster semi-final in Kingspan Breffni Park.
Given that defending champions Cavan are on the other side of the draw along with Division One sides Donegal and Tyrone as well as a rejuvenated Derry side, Armagh are strongly fancied to book a place in the provincial final for the first time since lifting the Anglo Celt Cup in 2008.
Donaghy says the straight knockout element of the Championship means that teams, especially in Ulster, have to hit the ground running.
“It’s well-known that Ulster is the toughest province to win,” said Donaghy.
“The knockout side of things has definitely brought a bigger edge to proceedings and the players are acutely aware that if you don't perform you're more than likely going to lose.
“The coaches that are going into every team now know the value of possession - all that is huge now in the game and for most teams what happened last year will have everybody on edge for every game.
“If you don't perform, you'll be like Kerry after the Cork game or Donegal after the Cavan game. That's a huge warning.
“Everyone knows it could be your last day if you don't play well so there's a big onus on the management groups and the players to make sure they deliver a performance.”
