Complacency warning issued by Armagh coach Conleith Gilligan after massive win over Down

However, heading into the Ulster Final against Monaghan on Sunday, team coach Conleith Gilligan says that the team can’t be getting too caught up in past performances, referencing the hype following Donegal’s win over Kerry in the National League Division 1 final, and Down’s win over Donegal, and the fact that both of those teams put in disappointing performances in their next outing.

“You would rather try and come in under the radar as much as you can,” he said, at last week’s Ulster Final media event.

“If you look at, I suppose, Donegal going into the Down game, then Down going into the Armagh game, obviously your performance in that game with recency bias dictates how everybody feels about you, and sometimes then that can seep into the group maybe.

“You maybe get a sense of confidence about yourself that maybe isn't real or is just based off that last performance. So you would absolutely want to come in under the radar.

“But, look, you are where you are. I suppose this group of players have lost too many games in Ulster to know the pitfalls. There'll be no complacency, there'll be no looking any further than the throw-in and five minutes and ten minutes and half-time and having just to perform all the way through.

“The one thing that the last number of weekends have shown you is that, regardless whether you're 10 up or 10 down, until that final whistle goes - and even when the hooter goes – you might have a chance at it!

“So you have to be there until the very end and you have to perform, and the Armagh players know that more than anybody based on the recent disappointments.”

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Improved efficiency

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Throughout the league, Armagh found themselves creating a multitude of chances, but missing too many of them as they went on a run of four straight defeats.

However, with the weather improving and the ground hardening, the Orchard County’s efficiency in front of the posts has been incredible. They converted 75% of their shots against Fermanagh and 78.5% of their shots against Down.

So what are they doing differently?

“There's nothing different,” said Gilligan.

“Probably during the League it was a new enough team. We had players coming in and getting their chance and they probably just had that unsettling feeling when you're in Division One.

“Every team is so good that they can hurt you. If you drop a ball short, the opposition are coming down and getting a shot.

“You're kicking into the breeze or you're kicking with the breeze or you're either trying to force a long-range shot or you're trying to force a shot against the breeze. And I suppose there was a lot of trial and error in the League.

“Maybe those things probably are leading into better days now where the learnings from that is coming forward. But again, you're only as good as the next day. And those last couple of days out were really good and high scoring.

“But it doesn't count for a big pile if you don't keep it going and, ultimately, that's where we're at. But to answer your question, there's nothing different.

“We work on attacking play a lot and it's something that you have to now with the new rules because the day of defending leads is gone. So whenever you get a lead, you have to try and stretch it out and that's probably the big difference since the new rules came in.

“Once you get the lead, you have to keep on top and you have to make sure you get yourself in a position on the score-line where you're not going to be nipped.

“And everybody will be looking at those games over the last couple of weeks and knowing that 10 points is no longer an insurmountable lead where in the old rules, 10 points would have won you the game. Now, it won't even hold you out if you have a bad 10 or 15 minutes.”

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Selection headaches for McGeeney

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One of those players who has been shooting the lights out is Oisin O’Neill, Armagh’s top scorer across the League and Championship in 2026.

However, his role has changed to a ‘finisher’ as he has been coming in off the bench in each of Armagh’s last five games.

So, how do you tell a player of that quality that they aren’t starting?

“Well, thankfully, I don't have to say it! Geezer gets that job and I would imagine some of those meetings aren't very nice,” laughed Gilligan.

“I suppose the reality is that they're a very experienced group and they've been there together. And they've probably seen over the last number of years that this is Kieran’s style and what he wants.

“And sometimes it'll be you starting, sometimes it'll be somebody else. Ultimately, the team has to come first and whatever the management feel is best for the team is what we'll go with.

“I think, as he [McGeeney] referenced last day, it's not about keeping people happy, it's about doing what's best for the team.

“That's not always easy and I don't envy him having to have those conversations either, because I can sort of duck into the corner and put my head down. . . but no, look, it's hard.

“Oisin, in the way that ‘Soupy’ before him or whether it was [Niall] Grimley before that or Shane McPartlan, they take it really well.

“They’ll not be happy. Nobody will be happy in that, but they understand where they’re at and coming on and adding value is what they do.

“It was ‘Turbo’ before that and it could be again. You just don’t know from game-to-game.”