Armagh hold slender advantage at top of AIL Division 1B with four games to go

Armagh coach Chris Parker knows how significant that win in Cork could be at such a crucial stage in the season.

“A huge result rather than a huge performance is the right way [to describe it],” he said.

“We left it late and didn’t make life easy for ourselves, but the boys dug really deep and credit to them for getting over the line.

“They worked their way up the pitch well , they showed a lot of patience and belief in their own ability to get the job done and thank goodness we got there.

“We spoke afterwards, and everything now is to keep winning and picking up four points each week and keep ourselves up there,” Parker added.

“It is just about winning, it doesn’t matter how it looks, it is just making sure at the end of the game you have more points than the opposition.

“It is a massive confidence thing that the boys can win that wee bit uglier and grind it out if they need to.”

Armagh have taken nine points out of 10 since losing to Old Belvedere, a pleasing response for Parker.

“They have bounced back really well, the Ulster derby (against Banbridge) was the easy one to get them up for,” he said.

“Highfield is difficult place and they are going well, they started well and when they got an early score it would have been easy to drift off and say we’ll deal with this another day, but they dug in and to get that win on the road just keeps momentum building.

“This is another week where we just have to keep that going and [do] whatever it takes to make sure we get four points on the board come Saturday afternoon.”

Sixth-placed St Mary’s visit the Palace Grounds with playoff ambitions.

Parker said: “St Mary’s will not be easy, they will be a different challenge to Highfield, they have a pretty electric backline and they can score tries from anywhere.”

“Their attack is one of the most fluent and potent in the league. We have got a big task on our hands and it is one we look forward to.

“Usually when the two clubs play each other it is pretty ding-dong with a fair few scores on the board and with the forecast being good, I’d say there is something similar in store.

“The chat is the same every Saturday: we need four points and we need to be top of the league come 4pm on Saturday, that is where the focus is.”

Ulster scrum-half Mike McDonald is released but O’Brien is injured so Sam Cunningham starts at full back, while Dylan Nelson returns to the squad.

At the bottom Banbridge are five points clear of basement club Malone and face a potentially make-or-break game for their automatic safety against UCC, who are a place and four points above the Rifle Park club.

Bann have Ulster duo Greg Jones and Rob Lyttle available and Aaron Sexton is at full-back for Malone as Nass visit Gibson Park.

In Division 1A Ballynahinch host Dublin University (4pm).