Disappointment for three players

The Farney sub-goalkeeper Sean Corry refused to travel with the team after being told by his manager that Monaghan full-back Darren Hughes would be starting in goals in place of the injured Shane Duffy.

Tr na ng’s Brian Mallon was another player left feeling aggrieved having been sent off towards the end of the game’s first half for a challenge on Rory Woods. It will be interesting to see if Armagh will appeal the decision.

Ryan Henderson, despite being named at left-corner forward, was dropped in favour of new rising star Jamie Clarke.

Henderson thought he had ‘done enough’, particularly against Derry in Celtic Park, to start on Sunday but was told on the Thursday night before the game that he would not be featuring.

Paddy O’Rourke told the ‘Mail’ after Sunday’s game, that he had chosen what he believed was the best team and that Jamie Clarke was not named in a bid to deflect pressure away from the young player which left Henderson named but not starting.

While it would be unfair to compromise any player’s chances of starting a game in future, and taking nothing away from Jamie Clarke’s special talents and strong performance on Sunday, the fact that no changes were made in other flagging departments, particularly during the second half of last Sunday’s game, was particularly baffling.