Leitrim v Armagh

 

Play your part for Leitrim

We all know the chorus of The Boys from the County Armagh and probably most Armagh followers could manÓge a line or two from Lovely Leitrim, so there will be little between us if the singing starts on the stand and terraces on Saturday.

But it is not a song contest, of course. It’s serious stuff. The winners take another step in the Championship, while the losers return to domestic competition.

The men from the North will be raging hot favourites following on from their annihilation of Wicklow in the last Qualifier round, together with having been All Ireland winners just over a decade ago and also having part of the all-conquering Crossmaglen club in their line-up. Add to that big-time experience and what have you, so little wonder that the pundits will have this game down as a sure thing for the visitors.

All that could be a valuable plus for Leitrim. And if the men in the green and gold perform as they did in the second half of the replay against London, then Armagh might have a little more trouble than everybody is bargaining for. Those last thirty seven minutes or so in Hyde Park showed what passion, pride, determination and an abundance of skill can do.

There will be great pre-match focus of what a footballing genius like Jamie Clarke can do to the Leitrim backline. But Jamie can only dazzle with his brilliance when he is in possession of the ball, so whoever is detailed to be his marker has a very specific job to do, just don’t allow him possession. Easy to say, a lot harder to do, but that is what every man in a Leitrim jersey must achieve. Just get the better of your opposite number and what more can be expected of you. We need everybody playing to their full potential and working as a team.

If the game were in Crossmaglen or Lurgan or Armagh, the home support would boost their players. Surely we can rise to the same level in Carrick on Shannon? All of us can play a valuable part, more valuable than we might think. Nothing can lift the men in the green and gold more than the Lei-trim Lei-trim chant from every corner of Páirc Seán.

Be there.

 

 

08-Jul-13 by Leitrim GAA