Marsden the key figure

Yet another of this weekend's big matches is a re-run of a championship meeting familiar from recent years. Like the Meath-Offaly meeting in Leinster, the Ulster championship semi-final between Derry and Armagh is a barometer of trends within the province. Unlike the Croke Park match, tomorrow's clash at Clones is the latest in a one-way sequence.

Derry's defeats of Armagh have varied between the enormous and the relatively tight but the result has always been the same. This year both teams have been involved in replayed first rounds and come through with much-improved displays on the second day. Armagh's task was the harder and they survived greater adversity in the replay.

Any discussion of Armagh's chances will involve the fate of Diarmuid Marsden. He wrought miraculous improvements on the team when coming on each day but continues to be bothered by the groin strain which he picked up last April just as people were ascribing his form to a first injury-free season in years.

Armagh's NFL campaign was quite dependent on Marsden. Even at half-pace he did enough to earn a draw in the semi-final with Dublin and his departure after only a few minutes brought about their downfall in the replay.

Derry have had a steady enough year. In keeping with Eamonn Coleman's prescription each year he's been part of Derry management - since actually winning the League in 1992 when he adjudged the team to be in need of a trophy - the county took their leave of the League at the quarter-final stage.

Their fright in Casement Park owed something to complacency and refereeing mistakes but also to bad defending - a failing which hadn't been entirely stamped out by the replay although Cavan weren't in the mood to punish it. Yet there have been positive signs. Anthony Tohill played very well in Breffni Park and the forwards moved with a bit of purpose.

There will be some doubts about the defence in the light of the first-round matches but can Armagh capitalise on any weaknesses? Marsden will almost certainly play and his pace and marksmanship will be a primary threat to Derry. Armagh aren't as well-equipped as Cavan to play the high-ball game and consequently Derry won't be as exposed.

John McEntee can function as a target man out on the 40 and his use of ball will be another worry for Derry. In the left corner, Oisin McConville represents another big problem for the defending champions although he may not pass the whole 70 minutes on the inside line.

This match swings on whether Armagh have improved enough to register their first major championship win in six years. Beating Donegal was creditable but Derry are a more seasoned championship outfit under the shrewd management of Coleman and Adrian McGuckin.

The belief here is that Derry are still that bit ahead.

ARMAGH - B Tierney; E McNulty, G Reid, J McNulty; K Hughes, K McGeeney, A McCann; J Burns, P McGrane; A O'Neill, J McEntee, J Rafferty; AN Other, P Campbell, O McConville.

DERRY - D McCusker; K McKeever, SM Lockhart, D O'Neill; P McFlynn, H Downey, G Coleman; A Tohill, N McCusker; E Muldoon, D Dougan, D Heaney; J Brolly, S Downey, J McBride.