Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney has downplayed his team's record-breaking 3-33 to 0-14 Ulster semi-final demolition of Down, insisting the scoreline is not a true reflection of the gap between the sides.
Speaking after the match at St Tiernach's Park, McGeeney said he would "not read much" into the dominant victory, which secured Armagh's fourth consecutive Ulster final appearance. The Orchard County will face Monaghan on 17 May.
"It's great to get into an Ulster final again," McGeeney said. "But in terms of the scoreline, I wouldn't read that much into it. We knew it was going to go one way or the other with Down — either it was going to give them energy or sap them, and their performance last week probably took its toll."
Armagh built on a high-scoring quarter-final win over Fermanagh, but McGeeney highlighted how quickly momentum can change in modern football. "The score was good today, but so was Down's last week; these things can come and go," he said. "Down was 5-2 up when Greg McCabe had a chance to score, and if that went in, the game could have taken a different trajectory altogether."
He also noted the evolving nature of the game, with teams capable of turning around large deficits quickly due to two-point scores. "You've seen for the last 10 days that 12- or 14-point leads aren't what they were before," McGeeney said. "Teams can hit two-pointers now and turn things around very quickly, so you always have to stay switched on."
The second half allowed Armagh to introduce fresh faces, including championship debuts for Aaron O'Neill and Tomas Galvin. "It was good to see lads like Aaron and Tomas getting game time. I told Aaron when he came on to pull the trigger, and he did — he got a two-pointer," McGeeney said.
Looking ahead to the final, McGeeney expects a stiff test from Monaghan, who booked their place with a dramatic win over Derry. "Monaghan will have no fear of us, I can guarantee that," he said.