Armagh get what they finally deserve

John O'Mahony Football analyst Just watching the way Armagh reacted to their victory made it clear how much it meant for them to win in Croke Park.

They've had so many disappointments there in recent years, losing so closely to Kerry and Meath and Galway, and the release of emotion at the final whistle signalled an end to that suffering.

It was that desire to win that made the difference on the day. Armagh also kept their shape better than Dublin for more of the game, and proved to be a team at the more advanced stage of their development curve.

It may have been their last chance to make the breakthrough, and they weren't going to let it slip.

All the work Armagh have put in over the last few years paid off as well and it shows that if you do keep trying, then your day can come.

But when Dublin look back on this game they'll know they made more errors than Armagh in those crucial last 10 minutes.

At one point Dublin had established a good platform for victory, but they just couldn't take off from it.

What Armagh have also done this year is add a few additional players in key areas. Ronan Clarke is a true find at full forward and caused plenty of problems for Paddy Christie.

Francis Bellew looked like he'd be taken on numerous occasions, but he managed to survive.

The big names like Kieran McGeeney and Oisín McConville also delivered big games and that was essential.

Still, Dublin started in whirlwind fashion and were three points up after 10 minutes. The feeling all along was they'd have too much pace for the Armagh full back line and they had. But by the end of the first half, they hadn't reflected that on the scoreboard.

The first half in general was poor and six points each wouldn't have satisfied either manager. But there was huge tension from the start as well, palpable as the two teams went into the pre-game huddle.

Both teams found it difficult to shake off that tension in the first half, and they both had periods of domination and also periods of hitting bad wides. There was no real form from either team.

At the same time, some of Dublin's problems were already being revealed. They couldn't get any control at midfield, and maybe the dominance they enjoyed there the last day was camouflaged by Donegal's bad performance.

Certainly some of the improvements were gone back on yesterday. Ciarán Whelan didn't carry the game forward near as much as he did against Donegal, and, although he got a great goal and a point, he never got truly on top of the game.

The problems at the back that Dublin appeared to have sorted the last day were revealed yet again. Coman Goggins was clearly having difficulties with Steven McDonnell.

Armagh also pulled Paddy Christie out more than he'd have liked and, in general, the Dublin full-back line was under too much pressure. So, as the first half wound down, I felt Armagh were playing the game more to the pace they wanted.

Once the second half started it was back in the melting pot. Armagh's goal truly sparked the game to life, and then Dublin's immediate response showed great character.

Alan Brogan followed up with a point and I felt then Dublin were in a good position to win.

Ray Cosgrove came back on the scene after a quiet spell and so too did Brogan after a very quiet first half.

They had established a platform for victory, but they never got more than a couple of points up and, unlike some previous occasions, Armagh just wouldn't lie down.

McGeeney, in particular, had a great second half and started to dictate things as he has done so often in the past. It was that experience of grinding out results over the last few years that started to stand to Armagh.

As long as they stay within a couple of points, I always feel the more experienced team has the better chance of winning.

Dublin needed to keep rolling on, but they just couldn't get that breathing space that would have given them some confidence.

Instead, their tension kept on rising as they couldn't shake off Armagh.

People were expecting Dublin to be four or five points up coming into that crucial last 10-minute spell. If they had been, they may well have won it.

Instead, Amagh were visibly growing in confidence and more players like John McEntee and Aidan O'Rourke and McConville delivered than Dublin in that crunch period.

It was fitting as well that McConville got their concluding point because he had his own personal nightmares in Croke Park. Even in the first half of yesterday's game, he wasn't going so well, but he held his composure and in the end probably wiped out all those bad memories.

When Dublin reflect on this defeat they will know that in the critical last 10 minutes they just made too many mistakes.

In an interview with Ian O'Riordan