Who would have thought it? Mickey Moran has an engaging sense of humour.

There was a smile on the face of the Derry manager yesterday despite his young team failing to do the simple things right in Casement Park.

They didn't let Armagh off the hook but the game was there for the taking. An inability to hit the target was their ultimate downfall.

So, what went wrong, Mickey?

"Composure and just not taking our chances," he said.

"If you look at the first half we missed at least six or seven chances. Okay, Armagh put us under a lot of pressure but I thought we just missed a few critical scores and we could have been ahead at half time.

"We just got a kick in the teeth. Things just didn't go for us, but one thing - we didn't give up. And the goal, it just wasn't meant to be, we got a great block on the ball and nine out of 10 times it goes to the team that threw their heart onto it.

"It went to an Armagh man and that sort of killed us but we came back and came back."

In the current climate the referees were expected to be targeted for further criticism this weekend.

When Moran started with, "I have to say too, and I'm not going to be liked for this in Croke Park . . ." the dictaphones edged a little closer under his nose but then he smiled again.

"I thought the referee was tremendous. You can quote me on that. I thought he did a good job. Referees are going to make mistakes but as long as he is consistent I have no problem.

"I went over and shook his hand and I said 'We have no argument with you' because I thought he did a tremendous job.

"There were two tough teams out there and fair play to him, he used a bit of common sense. Nobody got sent off and I don't think anyone deserved to."

For about an hour after yesterday's game, Moran could at least take solace from being out of the Ulster warpath but then the qualifier draw gave them Down away, probably next Saturday.

"We're down in the dumps and we are hurting big-time but it was one of those things where you can get stuffed and not perform - that happened us last year and we had no excuses. We can say a little bit of luck didn't go with us today but we'll learn from that.

"The word is that it's on next week. I have a lot of time for Armagh because they take it on the chin and hopefully we are the same.

"Whatever has to be faced we'll face it and not be crying about it. We'll prepare this week for next week and hopefully we'll score."

Another smile and suddenly you felt they may be okay.

Joe Kernan, serving a one-match touchline ban for pitch encroachment, watched the action from a seat beside the press box. He still felt the nerves jangling but it was a chance to compare the media view with his normal, eye-level vantage.

"It's certainly not the same, you know. You're definitely not a spectator when you're off there but you can see a lot more. I think I've served my time so I'll go back to school now."

John Toal and Tony McEntee, two big men, were left off by Kernan but he launched both from the bench for the final quarter to great effect. It was the turning point.

"It shows the calibre of the boys we have that they can take a disappointment - and it's a big disappointment not to start for this team - and then come on and show what they can do."

Room for improvement?

"Oh without a shadow of a doubt. What happened there today would not be good enough in the final. We know that."