Ulster SFC Quarter-final replay: Armagh 1-13, Monaghan 0-10 Business as usual in Clones on Saturday: in the crowded, thumping surroundings - and that includes getting out of Creighton's Hotel after the Munster match - Armagh eventually eased into another Ulster football semi-final.
If their improvement from last week's draw and this six-point win is anything to go by then Armagh will still be damn hard to beat this summer. They were outplayed by Monaghan for the first 15 minutes, and could have been down 1-3 to nothing. But hey, Armagh know it's the last 15 minutes that count, during which they duly outscored Monaghan 0-4 to nothing.
With all the talk of their possible demise it's easy to overlook what helps make Armagh so good in the first place. Still one of the most professionally and impressively prepared teams around, the players went straight into a thorough warm-down after their victory, without the slightest hint of celebration. Later, they emerged from the dressingroom carrying a litre of water in one hand and a protein drink in the other, mingled with fans and then boarded one of the plushest double-decker buses in the country.
Of course, it helps they still have possibly the most talented football panels around. Manager Joe Kernan kept his trust in the starting 15 that failed to finish off Monaghan the week before, and to a man they responded. Their defence gradually choked the Monaghan forwards until they were lifeless, with Andy Mallon and Enda McNulty working tirelessly. At 23, Mallon represents Armagh's younger generation but he must be one of the quickest and capable defenders in the country.
Ciarán McKeever was masterful at centre back and Paul Duffy underlined his improvement at wing back by scoring his first championship point. With Paul McGrane again lording midfield and the full for-ward trio of McDonnell-Clarke-McConville hitting 0-10 between them it was, as Kernan put it, more like the "old Armagh" as the game wore on.
The moment that summed up their enduring potential, however, was Brian Mallon's goal. Monaghan had raced into a 0-3 lead after 10 minutes with their two-man full forward line of Paul Finlay and Tomás Freeman getting busy. That lead could have been doubled when Freeman was landed the ball in front of the goal but he rocketed his shot left of the posts.
Oisin McConville's free on 14 minutes settled Armagh, and within five minutes they'd taken control. Mallon's goal was beautifully delivered by Kieran McGeeney from midfield, and the finish was stunning. Armagh were up 1-3 to 0-3, and were never headed again.
Monaghan didn't surrender easily, and Freeman forced the finest of saves from Ciarán McKinney on 33 minutes that could have levelled it again, and they were still only 1-5 to 0-6 behind at the break. Despite twice closing it back to the minimum, Monaghan never looked like getting ahead, not with their full forward and centre forward soon being replaced. Instead Armagh's class started to shine with the full forwards hitting majestic points from play in the closing stages.
"I was really pleased with the second-half performance," added Kernan, "which was more like the old Armagh. There's still a lot of work to be done . . . if anyone expected super football in the first round of the championship they've got their head in the clouds. We're building, with some new players, and like everyone else we're starting out from scratch."
Kernan's blend of youth and (vast) experience is again working well. Eight of their starting 15 are aged 25 or under, and McGeeney (34) and McGrane (31) are the only ones in their 30s. Their fitness was way superior to Monaghan's in the closing 15 minutes, and McConville admitted afterwards the team was confident of further improvement.
"We are going in the right direction," he said, "and definitely played better football than last Sunday. But still only in patches, and we're capable of a lot more than that. We'll have to look again at how we start games, because Monaghan definitely got going on us . . . I think if we keep improving from week to week we'll still be hard to topple."
For Monaghan, the tour of truth will soon begin with their confidence shaken. They have talent in key areas, from full back James Coyle to Damien and Tomás Freeman, but it won't be easy for manager Séamus McEnaney to restore motivation after what was ultimately a lesson in the higher stakes of championship football.
"I feel we'd done our best over the two days," he admitted, "but this Armagh team are seriously hard to beat. We always felt we could beat them, but their experience still stood to them."
ARMAGH: 1 C McKinney; 2 A Mallon, 3 T McEntee, 4 E McNulty; 5 A Kernan, 6 C McKeever, 7 P Duffy (0-1); 8 K McGeeney, 9 P McGrane; 10 P McKeever (0-1), 11 B Mallon (1-1), 12 M Mackin; 13 S McDonnell (0-3), 14 R Clarke (0-2), 15 O McConville (0-5, four frees). Subs: 27 P Toal for Clarke (67 mins).
MONAGHAN: 1 S Duffy; 2 D McArdle, 3 J Coyle, 4 C Flanagan; 5 D Freeman, 6 G McQuaid, 7 V Corey; 8 E Lennon, 9 D Clerkin (0-1); 12 H McElroy, 11 S Gollogly, 15 R Woods (0-3); 10 P Finley (0-4, two frees), 14 R Ronaghan, 13 T Freeman (0-2). Subs: 28 P McGuigan for Ronaghan (35 mins); 19 K Tavey for Gollogly (54 mins); 21 C Hanratty for McElroy (61 mins).
Referee: D Fahy (Longford).
