Armagh Ladies manager Greg McGonigle reflected on what has been a positive campaign up until this point with six wins in seven games, ahead of the upcoming weekend’s league final.
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00:00 Greg, of course it's been a successful season so far. You had six wins on the bounce in the league. How happy are you with the campaign and how things have gone to this point?
00:08 The main thing was obviously trying to get four wins. Obviously we were tired of 12 points to stay up in the league.
00:14 After I think it was maybe just our fourth game in, we were sort of saying, can we try and push on? Maybe look short of potentially a game 1-1, game 5, or sort of centre out one more win and get in the league final.
00:26 The weekend there we ran a lot of players as well to give them opportunity. Obviously we didn't think the score would have been as big going to Dublin, but again that shows us the level of where Dublin are at as well.
00:37 Where we maybe get take one, not just as a team, but also to try and build a panel for younger girls coming in to show them what they have to do in the next couple of years.
00:44 Did the targets change? You touched on that at the start, it was about staying up, but then you sort of found that not only could you compete with the top teams, but obviously defeat them as well. How did that change as you progressed through the games?
00:56 Obviously Waterford first came up as a home team, so they definitely targeted Waterford. As regards to them travelling, obviously that was the weekend of the storm, which they had it with.
01:06 Our big result was to beat them down in the park in game 2. I think that really gave the group a bit of confidence.
01:13 Then obviously we were then, after that we had Galway, we struggled over. Only to meet Meath, who were previous All-Ireland champions.
01:21 Then after that you had obviously Kerry coming, which to me was the big result that gave us a bit of confidence.
01:27 Mayo then put us to pin of colour, and then obviously Dublin gave us a bit of a trim in the weekend. Overall, I think we've used about 33-33 players in the league.
01:35 At least some have given us a good amount of game time, and we're sort of nearly a balanced outfit, where we know what we're up and acting into the league final.
01:43 One that will look forward to the league final, isn't it? It's the first time ever for a map, but it's really going down the road with every intention of getting a win.
01:49 Yeah, I think maybe they've been saying it's 46 years or something, maybe they've been going up and going.
01:54 Obviously, the breed says after the Mayo game, if you look at the likes of the greats of Ireland, the likes of Kerry, who spent 23 years in the first Division 1 final,
02:02 but the likes of Bruno Adonis, Demi and Moriarty, they never played in the Division 1.
02:06 So that's something for the younger girls, who can just seem to be proud of, and hopefully put our best foot forward Sunday week.
02:12 I suppose with the games coming thick and fast, I don't know how much is in your mind, but the Championship of course will be here before you know it.
02:18 Was that part of the league as well, building as you go, trying to get towards the Championship, or how do you view it?
02:22 We sort of look at it as three separate competitions. Obviously, the National League, then you have the Oster Championship, which is obviously a straight shootout between ourselves and Donegal.
02:31 And then Donegal, that Oster final, will probably build more into it.
02:34 But again, you're looking the whole time with regards to how you think about players, what their capabilities are.
02:39 We've obviously changed some positions as well, we've left to Kelly Mallon in midfield, around the half forward line.
02:43 We've obviously looked at, say, Amy Penning. First couple of games, Amy would have dropped maybe deeper, maybe trying to be more of a playmaker.
02:50 Then you're looking at the likes of, the defence has been pretty settled, Sony Speakers with regards to Clodagh, Kate Toe, Grace Ferguson.
02:56 But again, Seán O'Gray, I thought had a very good second half of the season against Dublin.
03:00 And then obviously, hopefully trying to get the likes of Lahean back, with Maeve McCambridge has joined the panel.
03:04 So, competition for places will obviously come in handy. And again, summer football is a completely different game compared to the winter,
03:11 where it's that dry sod and speed comes into it. So again, that's something that will probably build on over the next 45 weeks as well,
03:18 as we have more fitness and a bit more speed.
03:20 Your next two games are finals now, the league final and the Oster final, sort of back to back.
03:24 It's a chance to get some silverware and do the same winning, breech winning. Is that obviously the intention?
03:29 Yeah, if every game was the finals here, we'd be delighted. But yeah, looking forward to the National League final.
03:34 And again, if you look at the teams that have been in the top two or three, Kerry have been there, Dublin or Meath,
03:40 we've sort of seen them as being four top teams. Galway were very good as well yesterday.
03:43 So, obviously the competition as it goes on in the summer is going to be stronger.
03:47 And again, one will look after Kerry and then get their heads down and prepare for an Oster final.
03:51 Obviously, the Gairds would have been hugely disappointed last year to lose that final up in Ombeg.
03:56 And it's maybe something that they have in the back of their head is, once we get this one done, it's right to really get down.
04:01 And again, as much as the league is a league, the championships are obviously where you're judged as regards to where you're going and your season.