Another Ulster invasion at Croker
Armagh and Tyrone, the 2002 and 2003 All-Ireland champions, go head-to-head for the third time in this year's campaign at Croke Park this afternoon.
Today's semi-final promises to be another red letter day for Ulster football in the capital. The winners will take on defending champions Kerry in a September 25 decider for the 2005 title. For the losers, a long, hard slog of a summer will have been for nothing.
Both of these sides have been the most raced of the All-Ireland pretenders. To reach the last-four, Armagh have played seven matches, including two titanic Ulster finals against Tyrone.
Mickey Harte's Red Hands have lined out on eight occasions in the '05 championship already. Incredibly, today's visit to GAA headquarters is Tyrone's sixth trip to Dublin since early July.
When Armagh claimed a two-point win and the Ulster crown on July 23, tempers flared on and off the pitch. Tipperary referee Paddy Russell will be a central, and hopefully calming figure this afternoon as football bids to win out over any remaining niggles the Ulster titans have.
Armagh have the bonus of captain Kieran McGeeney being back from injury at centre back. Manager Joe Keenan has opted to switch Aidan O'Rourke to the wing and drop Ciaran McKeever into left corner-back in place of Enda McNulty - seemingly an attempt to nullify the threat of Tyrone's free-scoring full-forward line.
Tyrone boss Harte has also reacted to the possibility of Armagh's potent attack overrunning his defence by fielding Joe McMahon at full-back rather than regular Chris Lawn. Orchard talisman Ronan Clarke can expect a lot of attention.
A two-week break for Armagh should see them hit the front early on, but if tireless Tyrone, who duelled with Dublin for the past two weekends, can hang onto the Ulster champions' coat tails, then it may be their turn for revenge.
A second All-Ireland final appearance in three seasons will be Tyrone's prize. But expect another war of attrition.
ARMAGH: P Hearty; A Mallon, F Bellew, C McKeever; A Kernan, K McGeeney (capt), A O'Rourke; P Loughran, P McGrane; M O'Rourke, P McKeever, O McConville; S McDonnell, R Clarke, B Mallon.
TYRONE: P McConnell; R McMenamin, J McMahon, M McGee; D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan; B Meenan, S Cavanagh; B Dooher (capt), B McGuigan, E McGinley; R Mellon, S O'Neill, O Mulligan.
Referee: Paddy Russell (Tipperary)
