This has been a good campaign for defending Ulster champions Armagh. They have recorded an attritional win over Tyrone, but elsewhere events have been unfolding to their benefit. Derry are showing worryingly familiar signs of post-league deterioration, while the rags-toriches stories in Antrim and Fermanagh have diverted attention from the champions' campaign. It appears that Armagh have improved on last year. Diarmuid Marsden is fully confident in his fitness this year and Stephen McDonnell has been a useful addition. Centrefield has the Crossmaglen twins John and Tony McEntee in their natural habitat and at the back John Donaldson has made a promising start to the resolution of the problem full-back spot. In addition to these improvements, there is an impressive cohesion in the side. Fermanagh have been unfortunately undermined by the injury to Rory Gallagher which, regardless of whether he plays, will have an impact. Tom Brewster is back, but the team need all their cylinders firing. The much questioned defence acquitted itself reasonably well against Donegal and Paul Brewster drove the side forward in the decisive closing phase when Fermanagh turned around the match in Ballybofey. Praiseworthy as that performance and result were, the problem for Pat King's team is that Armagh represent a big step up from Donegal.