Tyrone's Peter Canavan was in some discomfort yesterday as he turned up in Dublin's Westbury hotel to collect his Vodafone Footballer of the Month award.

Ironically, this was in recognition of a marvellous return to form since his comeback to the county team, but it came in the aftermath of an Ulster final performance undermined by an injury he aggravated and which forced his withdrawal.

"I had a rib injury going into the game but thought it would be okay," he said. "During the first half it gradually got worse and at half-time I'd no option but to pull out of the game. But I have something to go for in two weeks.

"I got a bang in the first Cavan match and then another in the same spot during a training match leading up the Armagh game. I'd done very little training."

Aside from personal misfortune, Canavan's day was spoiled by Armagh's dramatic comeback that pushed the match to a replay. While accepting that the performance was a good one, he still feels there is ample room for improvement.

"There were plenty of flaws in our game. Our forwards relied too much on Stephen O'Neill and there are errors we can improve on, but it is as well as we've played this year."

Although the team suffered from a couple of dubious refereeing decisions at the very end, both of which cost them an opportunity to win the match, Canavan wasn't making a big deal out of Pat McEnaney's performance.

"Armagh people are slightly miffed over Aaron Kernan's free-kick that looked over the line. But Tyrone could say that Brian McGuigan definitely looked as if he was fouled, and Mark Harte shouldered Paul Hearty out over the end line and that looked like a 45. But if they were the only two mistakes Pat McEnaney made he had a very good game."

With the replay heading back to Croke Park, Canavan made a point of calling for Ulster to build a stadium in the province that would have the capacity to host large attendances.

"Certainly we're happy about heading to Croke Park to play an Ulster final - any team would be. But I would like to see maybe a stadium in Ulster able to hold 50,000 or 60,000. Certainly if Clones could hold that sort of a crowd it would be an ideal venue."

Meanwhile, Armagh centrefielder John Toal is unlikely to recover for the replay. Toal, who was stretchered off just before half-time with a knee injury, was taken to hospital in Belfast with ligament damage.

There is swelling on the knee, and when that subsides he will undergo an MRI scan, but the damage isn't thought to be to the cruciate.