But in sharp contrast to last year’s defeat by Tyrone, Fermanagh proved themselves worthy contenders within the cauldron of competitive Gaelic that is the Ulster Championship. A tough, uncompromising display by both teams, resulted in a narrow victory for Armagh which, although deserved could have been wrestled from the Orchardmen’s grasp had Fermanagh not narrowly missed two difficult frees in the closing minutes. The post match desolation that was so evident in the Fermanagh camp was compounded by the fact that they realised that Armagh could well have been beaten in those closing minutes. There can be no doubt, that had Armagh converted more of their early chances then the last few minutes of the game would have been largely insignificant. That said, it says much for the character of this current Fermanagh team that they never stopped working to gain possession and to try and overcome the three point deficit they faced entering the final 15 minutes. This determination, matched by workrate and ability presented Fermanagh with the opportunity to tie the game in injury time. As Raymond Gallagher’s 47 metre free went wide and referee Brian White blew the final whistle, relief and exultation emitted from the Armagh camp whilst disappointment and dejection hung like a dark cloud over the Fermanagh camp.

    It was clear to be seen that this Fermanagh team had come to Clones, not only to win a game that very few gave them any chance of winning, but to proceed to the Ulster final and land the spoils there. Just being competitive is no longer the Fermanagh prerequisite, winning and winning at the highest level is now the only accepted outcome.

    Last year’s performance against Tyrone bears no resemblance to this year’s against Donegal and Armagh.

    While Pat Spillane and Colm O’Rourke chose to tear the game to shreds, others - who see more Ulster Football in a week than the aforementioned duo in a year - feel this was the best game of the Ulster Championship so far. certainly, the basic tackling of the Armagh defence and the inability of the referee to stamp out this persistent fouling, especially on Stephen Maguire, did not allow the game to flow as it should.

    However, in this modern era of Gaelic games with an increasingly professional approach to training and preparation, the physical nature of these matches can only increase. Strength, in the tackle, on the ball and with respect to lasting 70 minutes of championship football is now the defining factor in deciding Gaelic games. Armagh possesses this in abundance.

    The congested midfield area was central to the outcome of the game. John McEntee, Paul McGrane and Tony McEntee versus Paul Brewster, Liam McBarron and Neil Cox. Fermanagh battled to the last securing a fair bit of possession but ultimately the highly significant contribution of John McEntee was decisive. 21-year-old McEntee is fast becoming one of the finest exponents of the game in Ulster. Like Anthony Tohill of Derry, he not only possesses the strength required but is also very tasty on the ball. His crossfield ball in the second half was typical of his ability and his two points from play also were largely significant. Throughout the Armagh team, strength and skill is evident.

    The bonus of Fermanagh is that they came away from Clones knowing they could have achieved much more. As good and determined as Armagh are Fermanagh could well have beaten them. Either side of half time - similar to the Monaghan game - Armagh dominated and ultimately set themselves up for victory.

    Elsewhere Fermanagh more than held their own. Stephen Maguire proved again that he is a top class player giving John Donaldson in particular a torrid time. Kieran McGeeney, Justin McNulty and John Donaldson all received yellow cards for tackles on Maguire as Armagh sought to take him out of the game.

    Rory Gallagher ably converted these frees into deserved scores and while Fermanagh only scored two points from play, the Armagh tactics were largely responsible. The Fermanagh defence, in sharp contrast to Armagh’s, gave very little away, standing up well and defending as they should, forcing Armagh to shoot hurriedly and quite often wide. Paddy McGuinness stood out again and it must be said that the whole defence has come out of this championship series with much more respect that it entered it. To that extent, and with the further improvement that another year in Division I of the NFL will bring them come next year a sound defensive unit to match the forwards will exist.

    As already stated, the midfield battle was narrowly lost but the effort and commitment of Brewster and McBarron should not be understated. Whether it was the pressure exerted by the Armagh midfield and half back line, the Fermanagh distribution at times was poor. Crucially, Fermanagh, having done the hard work of winning possession, turned over that possession from which Armagh got a couple of scores. A fitter Rory Gallagher would have been more involved in this midfield battle and his hampered mobility was a major blow to Fermanagh’s chances.

    The Fermanagh attack was increasingly dragged deeper and its effectiveness was greatly blunted. Maguire again impressed but many of the others failed to impose themselves upon the game. That said, Armagh are defensively strong. Rory Gallagher did all that could be asked of him in the circumstances, and his very presence curtailed the forward promptings of McGeeney.