BARRY McCambridge says he doesn’t envy Kieran McGeeney’s job of picking Armagh’s starting team for this weekend’s Ulster semi-final showdown with Tyrone in Clones.
While McCambridge would love to be part of an Armagh team to win their first provincial title since 2008, his most immediate incentive is retaining his place.
Armagh’s absentee count has crept into double figures with McGeeney handing out four Championship debutants in their 11-point win over Antrim.
Given their consistent displays during the NFL campaign, it was no surprise Tomas McCormack and Darragh McMullen started against Antrim while Callum O’Neill and Gareth Murphy made up the quartet of Championship new boys.
“Last year there were about five or six boys – myself included – who didn’t play a lot of League or Ulster Championship but then got their spot later on,” said McCambridge, who picked up a GAA Allstar award last season.
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“We were missing maybe 10 players for the Antrim game, but four boys made their Championship debut – Callum O’Neill, Tomas McCormack and Darragh McMullen all added to the scoreboard, and Gareth Murphy in defence.
“‘Geezer’ always says, ‘It’s your jersey until someone takes it off you.’ Hopefully we’ll have a few more guys back on the pitch for the semi-final but I wouldn’t want to be picking that team for the next game.”
McCambridge added: “There’s obviously a target on our back as All-Ireland champions and we’re happy to have that because we’re proud of what we did last season.
“Yes, there are teams looking to outdo us and take us out – but all we’re trying to do is get a starting spot on the team.”
The Clann Eireann defender was fully expecting the physical challenge Antrim presented in their Championship opener and enjoyed his second appearance at Corrigan Park having played there in an Ulster Club tie against Creggan Kickhams in December 2021.
“It’s a nice tight ground,” he said. “Obviously, the whole talk about Corrigan before the game, there was going to be an extra edge to it, the crowd got behind them and there was a lot of physicality.
“You can hear everything on the field – but hopefully this will help Antrim push the case for Casement now.
“You never get an easy game and that’s what you want.
“Even Rory [Grugan] said at half-time that in 13 years he’s never had an easy Ulster Championship game.”
Given the absenteeism, the ‘Corrigan or nowhere’ backdrop and not being clinical enough when they did break through Antrim’s rearguard, it was difficult to judge Armagh’s opening display in Ulster.
Had they taken their two goal chances in the opening half against Antrim, pundits might well have been purring at Armagh’s economy of effort.
As it turned out, Antrim led by a point at the break before the All-Ireland champions cut loose in the second period.
“Every game you want to improve,” McCambridge said.
“There were a lot of parts of our game we were happy with. Antrim did well and stopped what we were wanting to do at times, so we need to come up with ways of alternating what we’re doing or improving what we did against them.”