Central Figures: Oisin McConville and Sean Kavanagh

Oisín McConville (Armagh)
Age: 27
Club: Crossmaglen Rangers
Position: Wing forward
Honours: All-Ireland SFC 2002, Ulster SFC 1999,
2000, '02, All-Ireland club 1997, '99 and 2000, All
Star 2000 and '02.

McConville has had his season disrupted by injury, which kept him very much below par up to the quarter-finals. His game has changed from being an out-and-out strike forward on the inside to the roving game he plays for Crossmaglen that allows him get on the ball more in the half forwards – his preferred position. He deserved the kudos for turning around last year's final after a nightmare first half and he remains a top-class dead-ball kicker even if he fell prey to the wides virus that afflicted Armagh in the semi-final
against Donegal.

In his own words: "Any sports fan would love to see Peter Canavan win an All-Ireland but we're being a bit greedy. We'd be saying 'not at our expense'.
"The first year 'Cross won the All-Ireland club title we got beat in the following Ulster championship by Errigal Ciarán (club of Tyrone manager Mickey Harte and captain Peter Canavan) so we know what it is like to get
beaten the year after. It was cruel to be beaten by Monaghan this year because you said to yourself, 'is this going to be the exact same thing 'Cross went through?' But we had to wait another year before getting back.
"In that way it was scary but once we were on the road we, no disrespect to Waterford or Antrim, had a couple of easy draws to break us back into it and the Dublin game was maybe the turning point. As soon as it was drawn everyone was looking at that match. Whenever Dublin is involved there is a lot of hype and then the fact that we were All-Ireland champions."
Opposing view: (Brian McEniff, Donegal manager): "There's no doubt
that Oisín has prospered over the last two years under Joe Kernan. He was suffering with injury early in the season and that has limited his impact this year, and perhaps his confidence too, but he still plays a very important role
in this Armagh team.
"Having said that I don't think Armagh are quite as reliant on him as last year. Though his overall performances haven't been as outstanding as last
year, he can still deal with the pressure of taking frees when that matters most.
"But he hasn't lost any of his courage. He missed a few chances against us but then had the courage to go for a goal with that penalty at the end, and you have to admire that. And he still has the legs to cause some
problems for the Tyrone defence."
Performance: v Laois (All-Ireland quarter-final): Even if Laois were slightly flattered by the margin this was Armagh's tightest match on the scoreboard (excepting the defeat by Monaghan). For a long time they couldn't shake the Leinster champions even though they had much the better of the second half.
McConville had a good scoring day with seven points, including his biggest haul from play, 0-3, this summer, as well as working hard in all of the usual
aspects of team play.

At the final whistle it was he who had gathered the loose ball in his own 45.

Seán Cavanagh (Tyrone)
Age: 20
Club: Moy
Position: Centrefield
Honours: Ulster SFC 2003, NFL 2002, '03, All-Ireland
MFC 2001.
Cavanagh has been a revelation this year, helping Tyrone from a situation in which they were perceived to have no centrefielders to one in which they have been sending them out as missionaries to other troubled sectors. He first caught the eye as a forward last year, rising in the square to win the ball – off the Armagh defence – and score the injury-time goal that forced the
match to a replay. Mickey Harte came in and acceded to the player's request to be tried at centrefield and Cavanagh hasn't looked back since. Good in the air, his driving runs from the middle have been a potent source
of scores with his 1-9 from play exceeded in this campaign by only Peter Canavan and Owen Mulligan.
In his own words: "I know it was a problem area but I always played there as a minor. Last year I was glad to be making the squad but I knew I wasn't playing in my best position at corner forward. I always wanted to try myself at centrefield and the league game against Donegal gave me that chance and I took it.
"At underage I played centrefield and sometimes centre forward and always loved running at defences and taking men on. It's always been an asset to me with the burst of speed I have. It's going to be very difficult against Armagh with Kieran McGeeney and Tony McEntee – strong physical men – back there. I'm not going to get the same space I have been getting.
"I have been a bit surprised by the space I've got in some of the games. I never thought that Croke Park was so big, some of the spaces I was finding. Joe Kernan and Armagh aren't going to let us run like that so we'll have to work really hard to create opportunities. It's going to take a lot of forward runs and hard work but we're willing to do it."
Opposing view: (John Morrison, assistant Derry manager):

"I've been watching Seán Cavanagh since his school days with St Patrick's and even back then he had tremendous passion for the game and the sort of
exuberance he is now displaying at midfield. He takes all the risks you would expect for a younger player, and for me he has been the young player of the year by far.

"But he wouldn't be the fully-fledged midfielder just yet. He still has to master the high catch and he wouldn't be as commanding in the area as someone like Darragh Ó Sé. But then he reminds me of someone like Jack O'Shea in that he covers so much ground, and shows up at both ends of the field.
"He is also so mentally strong and confident I don't think pressure will be a factor for him on Sunday. My feeling is that Tyrone will need to get goals if they want to win, and Cavanagh has a knack for goals, so he could yet play a key role on Sunday."
Performance: v Derry (Ulster first round replay): With Tyrone a little rattled after just about scrambling a draw the previous week, Cavanagh opened the replay by charging forward from the throw-in to kick a point within 10 seconds of the start. He added two more and led the subjugation of Derry's centrefield, which conceded a lot of frees under pressure and were duly
punished by Peter Canavan's dead-ball kicking. As the opposition wilted
Cavanagh's tireless running and creation of chances for the forwards was at the heart of the devastating win.
Oisín McConville: top-class dead-ball kicker and works
hard for the team.
Seán Cavanagh: has vindicated his belief that he could prove himself
at centrefield this year.