BBC 2 yesterday televised football for the soul to confirm Ulster teams are still the benchmark. When it was over, we went down to the caverns of Croke Park for reaction from two of the most affable and accessible managers in the land, but really, we wanted to talk to Stephen O'Neill.

Before we could do so, as captain Brian Dooher pointed out, he would be doing the warm-down. Ten points in an Ulster football final is no excuse to deviate from the routine, unless of course you have a medal in your pocket.

So, to Joe Kernan first. It was impossible not to compare O'Neill's performance with Frank McGuigan's in 1984, the last Ulster final between these two, though he did fall one score short of that remarkable display.

"Oh no, no. Stephen is a lot faster than Frank," said Kernan. "But good ball was going in. We lost a lot of breaking ball around the middle. When we hit good ball in there we looked dangerous, too, but at the same time Stephen is a good player.

"We are still in the championship and that's the most important thing. We'll certainly be looking forward to the next one because we know we didn't play off our strengths today and fair play to Tyrone for that but games are about finishing teams off.

"We came from a very tough situation. I'm not saying a draw was a fair result but it's a happy one for us."

On up the hall to a more sombre Mickey Harte. And who could blame him, considering Tyrone led by four points before Steven McDonnell and Paul McGrane interceded at the finish?

"We have to live with that," said Harte. "We probably had one hand on the cup and they took it from us, which they are entitled to do. It's never over until the final whistle. You have to respect Armagh - they are masters at it. They performed that today again."

It wasn't all doom and gloom. Harte noted the lack of skulduggery in the contest.

"It was a game of contrasting styles. People often, from other parts of this country, lump Tyrone and Armagh together as 'Ulster football'. I think we play different kinds of football and today you saw different evidence of those kinds of football.

"It was a good advertisement for competitive football and there wasn't really a blow struck in anger. Maybe it will raise the profile of Ulster football to a level that is very acceptable and very watchable."

Both managers praised referee Pat McEnaney.

With the housekeeping done, O'Neill is ushered past to do the man-of-the-match interview for television. Minutes later he re-emerges with the bottle of bubbly.

It's 6.30pm so there is no time for formalities. What does it feel like to kick 10 points and not win the game?

"Aye, we were disappointed not to get the result. Armagh came back but you expect that of them. They never give up and that's the way it was again today. Most of us thought we had it and I think that's what cost us in the end. We just have to prepare hard for the next game."

What did you think when they equalised?

"Typical," he laughed. "Ah well, fair play to them. They came back and that is one of the qualities we admire about them, and I think the whole country admires about them. They did it again today."