By Shaun Casey

ARMAGH aren’t expecting many surprises when they travel to Dr Hyde Park this weekend says boss Karl McKeegan. His Orchard County side are fairly familiar with that particular journey, and their opponents.

Roscommon have been regular foes for Armagh in the last number of years and results against the Rossies have been up and down. The Connacht side edged McKeegan’s side last year in the Nickey Rackard Cup, winning by the slimmest of margins.

They’re competing in a stacked Division Three campaign and both camps will be eyeing up a good start.

“They beat us in the league final two years ago and we beat them in the first round of the championship and then last year they beat us in the championship,” said McKeegan (above right).

“Being above us in the league last year will stand to them and that’s probably what stood to them in the championship last year, to get them over the line. We shouldn’t be fearing them, but it’s always a tough place to go.

“We had a bye weekend last week whereas they travelled to London (and lost) and Roscommon away is a tough start but there are no easy games so we’re just going to have to take it week by week and hopefully the panel stands up to it.”

On the league, McKeegan added: “It’s competitive, you have to be on your game from the start and every game is going to be important. Armagh want to be in this league, they want to be competing, and this is where we are going to have to test ourselves.

“We’ll know where we’re at pretty early because our first game is away to Roscommon, which is no doubt a tough fixture, and then we’re at home to Wicklow, who are a good team and won the Nickey Rachard a couple of years ago.

“It’s going to be a tough league; there’s no doubt about it but we know what we’re up against. We’ve trained hard and the boys now have got to this stage and everybody’s looking forward to getting started.”

There have been a number of changes to the Armagh squad, and they’ll start the season without sharpshooters Alex O’Boyle and Fionntan Donnelly while Aaron Fox is set for a spell on the sidelines.

“I think we have 12 to 15 new boys in. We have five -u-21s in this year and they’re all great lads and we’re delighted to have them. It’s good to have those young boys in the panel because it gives everybody else a lift.

“We’ve got a few boys from Derrynoose, Peter McKearney, Pauric McNaughton, Stevie Keenan, Paddy Kelly’s come in there as well. We’ve lost Aaron for most of the league, unfortunately he had a knee operation recently which will keep him out.

“Shea Gaffney’s back which is another good addition for us. Paul (Gaffney) is back again so there’s lot of positives and it’s disappointing losing players; Alex was a big scorer for us last year, but hopefully other players will step up to the plate this year.”