Armagh the next step in amazing journey for the gutsy Longford minors

Given little chance of making a major impact in the provincial minor championship, the Longford U-17 footballers ended up winning the Leinster title and the next step in their amazing journey is the highly anticipated clash against Armagh in the All-Ireland quarter-final at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday, throw-in 3pm. 

Showing a huge appetite in the heat of the battle and who have improved beyond all recognition under the driving force of home grown manager Enda McGahern, the gutsy  young Longford lads have brought a real feelgood factor to the county on the back of their remarkable achievement so far.  

While Armagh will be difficult to beat on the basis of their narrow two point defeat (0-12 to 1-7) against a highly rated Derry outfit in the Ulster final, it was a different story in the group stage of the provincial series. 

On that occasion Derry cruised to a very easy 2-18 to 0-7 win but Armagh have clearly improved a lot under the driving force of their experienced manager Aidan O’Rourke, the former Armagh defender who was a member of the team that won the All-Ireland SFC title back in 2002. 

Reflecting on the serious amount of academy development  at underage level in Armagh in recent years, the former Louth senior football boss O’Rourke believes that his U-17 team are good enough to make their presence felt in the All-Ireland series.

The Ulster minor football championship is a real minefield such is the consistent high standard and Longford will need to be at their best to cause yet another upset after defeating Dublin twice on their way to winning the Leinster title. 

Players to watch out for on the Armagh team are full-forward Eoin Duffy, who scored 1-3 against Derry in the Ulster final, along with fellow sharp attacker Ross Marsden who is a son of the former Orchard County star Diarmuid Marsden.

Having produced a savage workload to emerge victorious in the Leinster final at O’Connor Park in Tullamore, more of the same will be required from Longford in the double bill at Breffni Park on Saturday with Derry and Dublin clashing in the first All-Ireland quarter-final (1pm start).