City of Armagh coach Chris Parker believes his players will have to win all three remaining games if they want to make the AIL Division 1B play-offs and a chance of bouncing straight back into the top flight.

Armagh face fourth-placed Highfield at the Palace Grounds before finishing against the top two – Trinity away and Old Welsey at home.

Parker’s side could leapfrog Highfield with a victory with only four points separating them in the table.

“We probably need to go pretty close to three from three to get a play-off spot, I guess it starts this week,” said Parker. “If we don't get a win this week, then we can probably forget about it, we haven't spoken about the last two.

placeholder image — City of Armagh’s Thomas Dougan. (Photo by Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press)

"It’s that old cliche of one game at a time, but it very much has been that we're highly focused around Highfield and the threat that they can bring and how we need to be on our game and lift our performance once again to be able to get a result.”

Armagh had a bonus point victory at Queen’s last time out.

“It was certainly much improved performance and more what we've been chasing,” he said. “I thought we'd had a really good training week in the build-up to it and that sort of transferred through...I think we've had another good training week.

“Our 22 completion rate was up at 75 per cent, which we're usually averaging around 40 per cent...so that was really pleasing that we could try and be a bit more efficient once we get 22 entries.”

Highfield stand as a typical Munster team built around forward dominance.

“We know that they're coming off their first Munster Senior Cup in an awful long time so they'll be coming up the road with a bit of a bounce in their step now,” he said. “They've got some huge men together there in that squad and hugely physical and athletic and their set-piece is extremely well drilled obviously with James Cronin as coach.

“It's a different challenge to some of the previous ones that we faced with Blackrock and Queen’s, who brought threats in different ways...we only have one choice to make and we've got to beat it head on.

“I think we just need to keep chasing our tackle entry and our tackle height this week against such big men.

“If we don't get that right and we give them one-on-one carries, we'll make life hard for ourselves but if we can get our tackle entry right and keep possession like we did against Queen’s, well, we'll give ourselves a good shot.”

Lock John Glasgow and Thomas Dougan return to bolster the Armagh pack. Behind the scrum, Owen O’Kane is away at Ireland U19s so Rocky Olsen switches from the centre to out half.

There is an Armagh debut for Ulster utility back Aitzol King, who will play his first game of the season after a lengthy injury.

Queen’s are already relegated and travel to Blackrock.

In 1A, Ballynahinch visit struggling UCD.

In 2A, Banbridge must beat Shannon at home to have any hope of avoiding relegation. It’s second against fourth at Stevenson Park as Dungannon host Wanderers, plus Ballymena welcome Corinthians.

In 2B, Clogher Valley travel to already-promoted Galwegians, Rainey visit Sligo, Malone are at Navan. In 2C, resurgent Ballyclare entertain Midleton while Belfast Harlequins host Monkstown.