McGeeney not dwelling on defeat but looking forward

Following defeat in the Ulster final, it's a case of biting the lip and looking forward to the round-robin series for Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney.

The All-Ireland champions were edged out in a dramatic provincial decider by Donegal after extra time in Clones on Saturday, and it is fair to say that the Armagh manager felt that certain decisions went against his side.

McGeeney, however, was not willing to elaborate following the defeat, other than referencing a moment when he felt that Ross McQuillan should have been awarded a free, while adding that "a couple of decisions gong against you" would prove the difference in the game.

Overall, McGeeney was pleased with his side’s performance and does not appear too bothered by his side’s placement in Group 4 alongside Dublin, Derry, and an inform Galway side – an Ulster victory would have placed them in Group 1 with Mayo, Cavan and Tyrone.

Either way, the ultimate goal remains unchanged, as he aims to take his side all the way to the final to make it back-to-back All-Ireland successes.

"It’s hard to say," said McGeeney, when asked after the game about losing the tie in extra time.

"We probably had a couple of indisciplines," he added. "It’s really hard to see how Ross McQuillan didn’t get a free-kick after he won the kick-out.

"He was pulled back two or three times, so it was very difficult to see that one, but listen, sport, as they say, they’ll point to other stuff and brush that one under the carpet.

"A lot of things [happened in extra time] when you look at it, but you’re not really allowed to go into those things. Sometimes you have to bite your lip and accept that things are the way they are."

Donegal captain Patrick McBrearty hoists the Anglo-Celt Cup in Clones

Aside from on-field decisions, McGeeney also felt his side just didn’t get the rub of the green overall, which ultimately resulted in Donegal taking the title in what was a repeat of the 2024 final.

"It was a cracking game of football," said McGeeney. "We hit the post twice, and it’s unfortunate that they got scores off each of them, instead of us getting just over the bar.

"We played really well but just didn’t get that wee bit of luck. We probably deserved a bit more out of the game, but such is life."

And McGeeney was able to take positives out of the game as they move on to the defence of their All-Ireland title, with the squad’s strength in depth amplified by the introduction of Stefan 'Soupy' Campbell, among others making an impact, in the second half.

"There’s no real subs anymore, it’s just the team that starts and the team that finishes, the game has changed that way," said McGeeney. "Sometimes you have better players not starting the game and just finishing the game. Soupy is an exceptional footballer and he always delivers for us.

"We played exceptionally well. What yo u’re on about is a couple of decisions going against you, and that’s the difference in a game.

"Again, they’ll get patted on the back and we’ll be called something different."

Armagh’s next outing looks set for 24 May when they will take on Derry in the first group game, and McGeeney will be hoping to stoke the memories of last ye ar to take his team through to the business end of this year’s competition.

"We’ve been in the group of death for the past two years, so what’s a third one?" he said.

"That was the sweet part of it, and it would be nice to do it again," said McGeeney when reminded of last year’s journey from Ulster runners up to Croke Park champions.

"But you can only take one game at a time. For those boys, you can’t take that away from them, they have done it once and the challenge now is to try to do it again."

And whether star forward Rian O’Neill will have a part to play in that journey remains to be seen following his return to the county set-up.

"He’s back in," confirmed McGeeney. "Suppose it’s like everything else, we’ll just have to wait and see."

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