McGeeney returns to bolster Armagh

Countdown to All-Ireland SFC semi-final: Kieran McGeeney will be back in the Armagh team for Sunday's All-Ireland senior football semi-final against Ulster rivals Tyrone.

The Armagh captain missed the quarter-final win over Laois last Saturday week with a minor hamstring strain, but has been training over the past number of days and declared himself fit for selection.

Manager Joe Kernan departed from his usual habit of naming teams on Tuesdays, and will announce his starting line-up after training this evening. That, according to county board secretary Patrick Nugent, was simply a matter of convenience rather than anything tactical.

"It was decided this week that the team would train on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week," explained Nugent, "that's all. And right now Kieran McGeeney is definitely up for selection. He's been training away over the past week and at this stage there's no reason why he shouldn't start.

"He doesn't have any problems at the moment anyway. And, thankfully, we've no real injury problems at all in the camp."

Aidan O'Rourke deputised with distinction for McGeeney at centre back in the Laois match and it remains to be seen if Kernan decides to use O'Rourke elsewhere or include him among the replacements.

In the meantime, Nugent described the level of Armagh interest in the game as "gone crazy". Sunday's crowd is unlikely to top the 81,882 that watched Dublin play Tyrone last Saturday - the highest attendance of the year so far - and yet clearly the latest meeting between the fiercest of rivals is being viewed as a game not to be missed.

"We issued the tickets to the clubs on Monday night," added Nugent, "and they were nearly all back on to us today panicking, looking for more. So it's definitely gone crazy and a bit hectic. Some of that might be just panic and it may settle down over the next couple of days, but at the moment there is definitely big, big interest in this match."

There were just over 60,000 in Croke Park on July 10th for Armagh's first meeting with Tyrone this summer - the drawn Ulster final. That crowd dropped to 31,954 when the replay came back to GAA headquarters the following Saturday week.

"I think part of the reason for that was the fact that the Ulster final date was switched not too long before (from the following Sunday), and then a lot of people were caught out for the replay in terms of holidays and things like that. At this time of the year, though, most people are back on track in terms of kids being back at school and the like. So I do think Sunday will surpass the Ulster final attendance anyway.

"And there is obviously a strong desire there in Armagh for people to travel down again. Of course, it helps that Tyrone has come through again. That has certainly boosted the interest, there is no question at all about that."

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte will also pick from a full panel when selecting his team after training tomorrow evening.

Harte has admitted to "living with" the short eight-day break between the semi-final and last Saturday's quarter-final replay with Dublin - and despite the fact Sunday marks their ninth championship match of the summer the mood among the players backs that of the manager.

"I think if you've two or three weeks to think about it, it's always playing on your mind," said defender Ryan McMenamin. "So the seven days thing doesn't really bother us at all. If the Premiership footballers can play week in and week out then we'll play week in and week out.

"Mickey Harte has been saying all along that we're the bestprepared team in Ireland and we'll be right for the game on Sunday. It's going to be a hell of a battle . . . but if you work as hard as we do, sometimes you can make your own luck."

Meanwhile, another county is beginning the search for a new football manager after Val Andrews decided to step down as manager of Louth, a position he's held for the past two years.

Andrews was due to go forward for a third year, but in a statement issued to Louth county secretary Pat Toner yesterday he outlined the main reasons behind his decision - which included an apparent rift with members of the county board.

"Unfortunately, with regret and on reflection I am tendering my resignation with effect from today," said Andrews. "The continuing county board in-feuding creates a near impossible environment for any ambitious county manager and panel to succeed in the long term.

"As usual, the players . . . are being sold short. I would like to thank the players and indeed, the county board for their efforts and I hope that Louth will stop the infighting and devote all their resources and energies to help a great bunch of lads achieve their maximum potential."

Among the early candidates to replace him are former Louth manager Paddy Clarke and former Down manager Pete McGrath, who is in charge of the Irish International Rules team.