Armagh secured their third Ulster title in succession this afternoon having overcome the challenge of Donegal with a powerful second-half display at Croke Park.
After a tetchy opening period that will have done little to enthuse the purists, Armagh's class began to tell after the interval as they started to exploit gaps in the Donegal defence.
Paul McGrane's goal just seconds after the restart fired Joe Kernan's side into a three-point lead they would maintain until the final whistle, the final scoreline favouring Armagh to the tune of 1-9 to 0-9.
Donegal, rejuvenated under Brian McIver, were more than a match for the title holders in the opening exchanges, their blanket defence successfully smothering Armagh's forward line while Adrian Sweeney was able to make inroads at the opposite end of the field.
But their inability to fashion goal chances would come back to haunt the challengers and Armagh ended the first-half on level scores, 0-4 points apiece.
The Orchard County upped the ante after the break, McGrane's excellent strike wrestling the initiative away from Donegal almost immediately.
Ronan Clarke and Steven McDonnell began to feature, swapping points to press home their advantage. And while Donegal refused to buckle, Armagh are not in the custom of surrendering leads at this level and will hang on to the Ulster title for another year.