So when he states that his team "were pushed all over the place" in going down heavily to Kildare in their opening Christy Ring Cup Group D match last weekend, it is safe to conclude that former All Ireland football winner McGilligan will be seeking a much more physical and skilful performance from his side when they renew rivalry with Armagh at Celtic Park tomorrow (3.30pm).

"We have some good wee players but when they are put under pressure, they can be exposed. They have to learn how to cope with this," maintains McGilligan.

That 19-point setback against a polished Kildare side has forced McGilligan to take stock of his resources yet his options are still limited.

Kevin Hinphey, Niall Holly, Mark Craig and Sean Leo McGoldrick are key players while Sam Dodds and Oisin McCluskey offer a scoring touch.

Armagh manager Mattie Lennon has watched his side lose narrowly to Derry in the last two meetings between the teams and now hopes they can turn the tables on this occasion.

Declan Coulter, Ulster's Hurler of the Year in '07, provides the sting in the Armagh front line while Ger Enright, Barney McCann and Paul McCormack are other experienced players.

Lennon believes that Armagh are "not too far away" from breaking through to the next tier although they lacked consistency in the National League.

Down, meanwhile, hope to make it back-to-back defeats for London when the sides meet at Ruislip although the visitors' manager Jim McKernan still has injury worries although, on a more encouraging note, ace marksman Paul Braniff is on song. The Clarke brothers are still an integral part of the Down team who are keen to come out on top in their group.

In the Nickey Rackard Cup, Tyrone will host Monaghan at Omagh where they will be hoping to build on their one-point win over Donegal last weekend while Fermanagh travel to Carrick-on-Shannon to meet a Leitrim side who fell to South Down last Saturday.