Chris Parker warns Armagh will need to be at their best against Instonians in Senior Cup

Armagh are in the top flight of the All Ireland League while Inst are in the fourth tier, but the Shaw’s Bridge side reached the last four by winning away at 1A side Ballynahinch.

“They are not a 2B side, this is a real quality outfit who would contend in most divisions in the AIL,” Parker said.

“It is a great challenge but it is a bit of an unknown one, but it is one that we are really looking forward to because we know they are a quality outfit.”

Armagh have been in four of the last five finals, securing a hat-trick of wins between 2018 and 2020.

“It is something the boys like and it is a change and a break from the All Ireland League, and there is always that carrot of the Bateman Cup there as well if you can win the Senior Cup,” said Parker.

“It is a competition you always want to have a crack at and put your best foot forward in.

“I suppose it really is a new focus, it is a new week. I guess in the division you sort of know a lot about each other as you can see footage of each other.

"We don’t know much about Inst at all bar they are a very good side and have some excellent results on the board.

“We have been able for just one week to focus around ourselves and try and improve from Trinity and that has been a nice change for us in a way, and not having to worry about opposition and just try to raise our performance on Saturday.”

Instonians have won the trophy on 19 occasion but it has been a quarter of a century since the cup has returned to Shaw’s Bridge and forwards coach Jamie Kirk wants to end that drought.

“It is significant to people who have been part of the club and invested so much in it to see the club thriving and what it means to those guys, like Clem Boyd, and I think it is deserved,” Kirk said.

“The opportunity to return to that bigger stage, to play Ballynahinch in the quarter-final… there was such a buzz around the club and the playing group.

“There was such a focus on that game and it felt different. It was a challenge and it was one that we weren’t expected to win, and it was a bit different to some of the games in the last two seasons where there was an expectation on us to win.

“Going into the semi-final we are probably not expected to overcome another 1A team. It is a new challenge and a new environment, and it is one the boys seem to be quite interested in and excited by too.”

Inst lost in the AIL for the first time in 33 games last week.

Kirk added: “With Instonians over the last over the last couple of seasons they haven’t experienced defeat that often.

"It is not one that the group seem to be deflated by or come away [from] with their heads down.

“Whilst we were on the wrong side of the scoreboard we weren’t far away and if you are going to lose a game that’s how you want to lose it.

“There is still a sense of optimism and there now has to be an understanding that we can take that lesson and be better going into this game, arguably you could say it has given us more focus.”