 | Armagh v Donegal, Sunday 30 August, Croke Park, 1530 BST |
Paul Hearty makes no secret of the fact that he is enjoying being Armagh's number one this season.
Last September, Hearty picked up an All-Ireland medal but he had spent the summer on the bench with the jovial Benny Tierney enjoying a memorable final season between the Armagh sticks.
However, Tierney announced his retirement shortly after Armagh's final victory over Kerry and it was always clear that the Crossmaglen man would get the number one jersey.
"It's always been my aim to the number one Armagh keeper," says Hearty.
"Last year was great - a first All-Ireland win and being in Croke Park and all that but being a sub is not the same as being in the starting 15".
Thus far, Hearty has enjoyed a remarkable campaign with him yet to concede a goal in six matches.
The modest goalkeeper attributes the statistic to the thou-shalt-not-pass mentality of the tight-marking Orchard County defence.
"I think this year they have been even better than last year.
"Joe (Kernan) and Paul Grimley has been coaching us really hard on defensive skills: tackling, harrying and trying to dispossess forward.
|  A goalkeeper's job also involves letting backs know when their men are moving to the left or the right |
"The lad have cut down the goal chances to the minimum. There haven't been too many shots on me".
With Adrian Sweeney and Brendan Devenney in brilliant form for Donegal in recent matches, Hearty could face his toughest test of the season on Sunday.
"We've played Donegal on numerous occasions in recent years.
"Last year's Ulster Final was a very tight contest but there will be even more significance attached to this game because there is a place in the All-Ireland Final at stake".
Sunday's contest will be his third Championship contest at Croke Park this season.
Hearty acknowledges that he "loves" playing in front of 75,000 plus people "even though it can be hard to get your message across to defenders with all that noise".
"A goalkeeper's job also involves letting backs know when their men are moving to the left or the right when the defender may be marking from the front and wouldn't be sure where the forward is.
"Sometimes you might move out about 10 or 20 yards from your goals but even then, the backs may not be able to hear you.
"But it's not really a complaint. Doing what I do, being in goals, taking my kickouts with those fellows playing for you and a big crowd behind you, there's nothing like it. Just brilliant".
MMIX
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