Armagh have 'belief' and 'confidence' ahead of semi-final

All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship semi-final: Armagh v Kerry

Venue: O'Connor Park, Tullamore Date: Saturday, 20 July Throw-in: 19:15 BST

Coverage: Live text updates and report on the BBC Sport website & app

Armagh captain Clodagh McCambridge says her side are approaching Saturday's All-Ireland Ladies semi-final against Kerry with "belief" and "confidence" after beating the Kingdom twice earlier in the year.

The Orchard County have enjoyed a stellar season, winning the National League title for the first time - sealed with a win over Kerry in the Croke Park final - before reclaiming their Ulster crown with victory over Donegal.

Armagh then topped their All-Ireland round-robin group ahead of Meath and Tipperary and booked a last-four berth with a 2-11 to 0-11 win over Mayo in the quarter-finals.

The Ulster county have not contested an All-Ireland final since 2006, but McCambridge says Armagh's league exploits have helped strip away the fear of facing the heavyweights in the latter stages of the championship.

"You're probably seeing the advantage of us having played in Division One this year. We're playing these top teams week in, week out and it stands to us in the championship," the Clann Eireann defender told BBC Sport NI.

"There's less fear going into these matches. We have that belief. We've had that experience of beating these teams. Coming into the championship, those past results don't matter but it's that confidence as a group. It's definitely a benefit."

After losing three successive All-Ireland quarter-finals between 2021 and 2023, beating Mayo at the Athletic Grounds last time out represented a significant hurdle overcome for Armagh in their first season under former Dublin boss Greg McGonigle.

And while Kerry will be determined to return to the final, which they lost to Dublin last year, Armagh gained a psychological advantage by beating the Kingdom at home in the league in March before a 2-12 to 2-9 success in the decider at headquarters.

"In those games, we conceded goals we wouldn't be happy with, but I think the way we responded was the bets part of the game," said McCambridge, whose brother Barry has starred in the Armagh men's side's run to the All-Ireland final.

"We didn't drop our heads whereas in other years we might have. The fact we've been able to play the 60-plus minutes and really see the game out will stand to us in the semi-final."

Armagh's run to the semi-finals has been particularly impressive given that they have been without the services of injured star forward Aimee Mackin since the Ulster final.

But the void left in Mackin's absence has been filled competently by the likes of her sister Blaithin and Aoife McCoy, who combined for 2-4 against Mayo, and McCambridge's Clann Eireann club-mate Niamh Henderson, who returned to the panel earlier this year after a nine-year break from the inter-county scene.

"Aimee's a massive player. She gets a lot of brilliant scores. When we lost her in the Ulster final, the expectation was maybe that we weren't going to be the same team without her," said McCambridge, who has flourished in her first season as captain.

"It's a testament to how resilient we've been. We've had a number of setbacks, losin Blaithin at the start of the year but we have her back in, Louise Kenny as well. It hasn't just been Aimee and we've been able to show that other players can step up.

"It's really bringing the whole team when other girls are getting their opportunity to show what they can do."

Cork and Galway contest Saturday's first semi-final in Tullamore, with that match throwing in at 17:00 BST.