Cormac Leonard Commercials Armagh SFC play-off round
Killeavy v Granemore (Sunday, Silverbridge, 5pm)
IF league football is anything to go by, then Sunday’s winner-takes-all championship clash between Killeavy and Granemore should go right down to the wire and Granemore boss Stephen Cusack is expecting a tight game.
“We played each other twice this year and they got the better of us by a point at home and we got the better of them by a point on our pitch so there’s not a whole pile between the teams,” explained Cusack.
“I think both teams will fancy their chances on Sunday.
“It’ll probably come down to the last 10 minutes and whoever wants it more will probably get over the line. They’ve got a new manager in now and they’re getting that bit of a bounce with Stevie coming in.
“Most of the boys in the Killeavy team probably idolised that man growing up and they’re just hanging off his every word and you can just see that. There have been big changes to their approach in the last two games.”
Now that the groups stages are over, it’s down to knock-out football and both teams will be eager to remain in the championship and extend their season. The prize on offer for the winner this weekend is a spot in the quarter-finals.
The two teams haven’t faced off in the championship since the 2022 semi-final, which Granemore won to reach their first ever senior decider. Two years on, and everything is on the line once again as they lock horns.
“I think the three group games will stand to the two teams and the championship is really only starting now,” added Cusack, who won two senior championship titles with Maghery in 2016 and 2020.
“Both teams go into Sunday knowing it could be their last game and they have to leave everything on the pitch. This is where both teams want to be and there are no second chances from now on.”
Granemore have lost their two most recent outings against last season’s championship finalists, Clan na Gael and Crossmaglen, in the group stages, although they did notch a first-round victory over Sarsfields.
Cusack is confident of having a full hand to pick from and doesn’t have any injury concerns heading into the play-off tie.
“There’ll be no excuses on Sunday night,’’ he adds.
“If we don’t get over the line, we can’t use that excuse of missing players. We’ve got a fully fit squad and that’s great, everybody is chomping at the bit to play and putting their hand up for a starting jersey.
“We’ve got a squad of 24, 25 and every one of them is fit to play and good enough to play in the first 15. It’s a good dilemma for me to have, trying to pick 15 men to play on Sunday.”