Kernan resigned to the hard road

One of the main reasons Joe Kernan is so keen on retaining the Ulster football title is that he believes it's the easiest route to the latter stages of the championship. Well he may be having second thoughts about that.

Forced into a replay against Monaghan, now forced into a replay against Fermanagh, Armagh must feel the season is turning into a bit of a marathon and it's still only the second Sunday in June.

Typically, big Joe looks on the bright side. Armagh are still in the hunt for a third successive Ulster title and for now that's something to be thankful for.

"Well, I didn't say the Ulster championship would be easy. It will never be easy. We're still in there and we can improve on that, but whatever we're going to do this year it looks like we're going to do it the hard way.

"I'd be a wee bit disappointed with all the chances we didn't take in the second half. That's down to us, and we take all the blame for that. But we showed some character after their second goal. It was a mistake and we were punished for it, but at least we helped rectify it. We worked hard to get back into the game, although I have to say we found it very hard to get a free. . . "

Kernan didn't expand on that point - and referee John Bannon deserves more credit than criticism for keeping the game both flowing and exciting. Still the Armagh manager wasn't complaining too much. Fermanagh had given them a real test, and they deserved some credit too.

"People who saw Fermanagh against Antrim said we'd win here, but football is not like that. Teams improve every day they go out, and rise themselves for certain teams, and that's basically what happened today. So I wasn't surprised at all at how Fermanagh played. Anyone that was in Croke Park in 2004 wouldn't have been surprised either.

"In the end both teams gave it everything, tongues hanging out. We won a few balls there at the end that maybe we shouldn't have won, but only because of the heart and character that's in these boys. Fair play to them for coming back. But we know we missed chances, we know we can play better, so it's all back again in two weeks' time. No real complaints."

Kernan also hopes to have a full panel again for the rematch. Neither Tony McEntee nor Paul Duffy started because of injury, while Ciarán McKinney had to withdraw because of a family illness.

The idea of a chance lost and a chance gained is shared by Fermanagh manager Charlie Mulgrew but, with his side having led going into the final quarter, he seemed more disappointed than Kernan.

"Well they're relieved, I'm sure, but we're relieved as well. They had the opportunity to win it, and we did too. It was definitely a delicate balance there towards the end. I suppose we have to be relieved and disappointed at the same time.

"But sure it's another day, another chance, another opportunity. Armagh are still a very fine side, no doubt about that. They showed all their qualities out there again. Of course we still believe we can beat them. We'll let this rest and the bodies and then get to a little more training, and come back here in a fortnight's time and do our best again. We have those two weeks to prepare, which is a good thing."

Fermanagh had several chances to seal it towards the end if they could only have held on to possession.

"Yeah," agreed Mulgrew, "a few things there at the end might have gone for us on another day, but that's football for you. That didn't go for us.

"Instead Armagh came down the field and got a couple of scores from our mistakes.

"If we'd taken one or two of our chances then maybe we would have put enough distance between them, but sure what can you do. The players were trying their hardest out there and fair play to them for trying their hardest.

"Sure both teams showed great courage out there. And you have to find that on championship day. Courage and commitment. And then just try to produce it on the football pitch."