McConville: Risk-taking Armagh can't blink now

Oisin McConville expects a smarting Donegal to put their best foot forward against Armagh on Sunday, but is hopeful the Orchard County will stick to their attacking instincts.

Seven weeks after their Ulster championship defeat to Donegal, Kieran McGeeney's side are aiming to back up their win over Tyrone last weekend and advance to an All-Ireland quarter-final.

The clash of the two Ulster teams is the plum draw in the second round of the qualifiers, and while Donegal were roundly criticised for their risk-averse approach to their provincial final defeat to Derry, McConville is expecting Declan Bonner’s side to improve with the knockout tie.

"I’m afraid of this game because as much as it has been negative from Donegal, they will be smarting and they are in the position Armagh going into the Tyrone game," he told the RTÉ GAA podcast.

"They are going to look at that game (against Derry) and go, 'hold on a second, what is the point in Stephen McMenamin having the most touches of any Donegal player inside the 14-yard line? Caolan Ward the second most?'.

"They are not going to have a shot, or play an incisive pass? They will go in there and recycle the ball. It’s a complete waste of time.

"If Donegal bring the energy and football ability they have, it will be a difficult afternoon for Armagh."

That being said, he is buoyed by what he witnessed at the Athletic Grounds last weekend as the All-Ireland champions were sent packing.

The absence of Niall Grimley, Kieran Kelly, Ciaran Mackin, Oisin O’Neill and probably Conor Mackin is asking a lot of the squad’s strength in depth, but wants his team to play with the same attacking ambition that served them so well last time out.

"They took a lot more chances that Tyrone did. Tyrone had