Armagh's journey to salvation

All-Ireland SFC Qualifier: Ian O'Riordan talks to Joe Kernan about the All-Ireland champions' chances after that early-season upset

This weekend the All-Ireland football qualifiers offer their next chance of redemption, and few counties have more desire to grab it than Armagh.

Memories of the shock defeat to Monaghan last month are only slowing fading, but manager Joe Kernan still hasn't lost sight of his one true ambition of the summer - defending the All-Ireland title.

On Saturday, he takes his team to Casement Park to play Antrim, convinced that form has turned and winning can become a habit once more.

The same 15 that started in the first-round victory over Waterford have been retained, and Kernan is clearly confident that Armagh can yet have some say in where the Sam Maguire ends up this summer.

"These past few weeks have been a whole new ball game for everyone associated with Armagh," he says. "Last year we had the disappointment of the previous few years to drive us on. And that might have helped get a wee bit more out of the boys.

"And we're still here to be shot at, and people will still want to beat the All-Ireland champions. But this team still has the ability, and still has the hunger. And we don't want to hand this cup over to anybody. We want to hold into it.

"The challenge for us now is to produce those goods again. And try to retain something that not only is hard to get, but seems almost as impossible at times to hold on to. But we want to do what no one has done for a long time."

There have been several essential reasons, says Kernan, why Armagh were able to get back on track, but none more than the month-long breather that they got between the Monaghan defeat and the first-round qualifier against Waterford. If they had faced the six-day syndrome then things mightn't have turned so well.

"We were so lucky we had that month to regroup. Especially with the injury problems we were having. We not only had to get the heads right, we had to get the bodies right as well."

The extra time also allowed Kernan to get his team settled again, and allow the less-experienced players such as Andy Mallon and Philip Loughran find their feet. Both will start on Saturday, while the likes of Paddy McKeever and John Toal will again start on the bench.

"We've actually played two matches now with that team, first of all against Galway for the opening of Pearse Stadium. And the same in the win over Waterford. After five straight defeats, most of those by the narrowest of margins, naturally we were happy to have settled down with a team again.

"Now we're in a situation where if we can continue this run we'll have regular football. And to have a clean bill of health to go with that is very important. The subs that come on the last day all did well, the likes of John McEntee and Enda McNulty, as well as Paddy McKeever and John Toal.

"Those four boys played throughout last summer, but have had niggling injuries too. But the lads that came in since have done well, so we're going to give them the chance here again."

Kernan admits that the draw against Antrim is as fair as they could have hoped - especially as Antrim will come in six days after their loss to Tyrone - although it by no means makes for a predictable afternoon.

"Well anyone that follows Ulster football knows that no team can be taken for granted. Tyrone did dominate most of the match last Sunday, but there was still only four points between them with two or three minutes to go.

"And, at that point, Antrim appeared to be coming right back at them. But then Tyrone's goal went in and that finished the game off. But it showed as well that it doesn't always matter how well you play.

"If you go in thinking it's going to be easy then that's the day you will always be caught."

Gradually then Armagh seem to be getting some order back into their summer, quietly rebuilding confidence, and still one of the teams to fear. And it has helped too to have watched other major forces, such as Dublin, stumble early in their championship ambitions.

"Well I think everyone was surprised to see Dublin beaten," admits Kernan.

"But when Mick O'Dwyer came in from Kildare, and the players that Laois have had over the past, I said at the start of the year that they would be a team to look out for.

"And I said after they beat us in the league that the hunger and desire that they have was going to be a handful for anyone."

ARMAGH (SF v Antrim): P Hearty; A Mallon, J McNulty, F Bellow; A O'Rourke, K McGeeney, A McCann; P Loughran, P McGrane; D Marsden, B O'Hagan, O McConville; S McDonnell, R Clarke, T McEntee.