Rian O’Neill was in bullish form after the All-Ireland semi-final, and you wouldn’t blame him as Armagh booked their place into the All-Ireland final for the first time in 21 years and got over their extra-time woes by beating Kerry 1-18 to 1-16.
Speaking to Damian Lawlor after the game, the Crossmaglen star, who was man of the match today, says that the job isn’t done yet as they are eyeing up the winners of Galway or Donegal in the decider.
“Look at that there.” O’Neill on the beaming faces of Armagh fans in Croke Park
“Kerry put it up to us the whole game, but we didn't back down. We were written off by everyone, but guess what? The job is not finished yet. We will be back in two weeks, stronger and more determined than ever. These people will be back here, and we will go again with our heads held high and our determination unwavering.
We have had setback after setback over the years. We lost on penalties. We never left, and that affected us. We kept coming back. They said we couldn’t win tight games. We won a tight game there today.
We get an awful lot of stick over how we play. You know, that’s the way everyone’s playing football. It's the same with Kerry, and it's the same with us; we're just trying to go out and win the match the best way we can. We have the men in there to get the scores. Why can't we give them the ball? “
O’Neill had a simple message for their All-Ireland opponents there were not there to make up the numbers.
“It means the world, and we’re coming back in two weeks we’re not coming back to make up the numbers. See, yeah, in two weeks. “
Are we in for a repeat of the Ulster final, or is it part two of the Croke Park rumble? One thing is for sure: don’t rule out penalties when Armagh are involved.
"They said we couldn't win tight games. We won a tight game today!"
Armagh's Rian O'Neill gives his immediate reaction to reaching the All-Ireland final.
📲 Updates: https://t.co/l0d9Fp4Vsl
📺 Watch live: @RTE2 & @RTEplayer: https://t.co/ZfZ9mA9XTY
📻 @rteradio1 pic.twitter.com/rqorcuf5qq— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 13, 2024
