All-Ireland SFC Quarter-final/Kerry v Armagh: So, despite their three successive Ulster titles, Armagh fail to chart a safe passage on the long and winding road that leads back to Sam. Icons of the modern game like Oisín McConville, Paul McGrane and Kieran McGeeney appear to have finally missed the chance to replicate other great teams by winning a second All-Ireland title.
"We felt Armagh were under a bit more pressure because Tyrone had won two All-Irelands. They were fated to win two but life doesn't always work like that," said Kerry manager Jack O'Connor.
Joe Kernan's resilience in defeat gives an insight into why Armagh continually return for more punishment. "The one thing I guarantee you is Armagh football is not finished. We've had downs before and have come back. (With) the amount of good players we have coming through, don't worry, Armagh will be back."
Will we see Big Joe back on the line next winter? "Don't worry there is life in the old dog yet.
"My players have given everything we have asked of them over these last five or six years. There is no way we can put any blame on them. They have been great for the game. The sacrifices they have made."
It irked Kernan that we inquired about the future of his older players."Och, wait a second. Why are you asking a silly question as soon as the match is over? Today is now Kerry's day. They won and fair play to them. They answered their critics without a shadow of a doubt on the field there. They were the better team on the day."
The fall-out from the Paul Galvin sending-off will generate a lot of headlines this week. Just what a water-carrier is doing landing several blows to the head of a player at a crucial juncture of the game will require a thorough investigation by the GAA.
"All I know (is) John Toal was being knocked about," said Kernan. "I went in to try and separate it and the linesman obviously went for John Toal instead of the culprit. John Toal was only giving water to a player and he was tackled."
Down the hallway, Kerry selector Ger O'Keeffe welcomed the media into a relatively subdued dressingroom.
"O ye of little faith," he smiled. "We thundered into them in the second half. Maybe the extra games that we had over the past couple of weeks made a big difference because Armagh definitely tired in the second half and we came more into the game. We didn't go away from our game plan even when it wasn't working in the first 20 minutes. The teams who lose their provincial finals or lose early on seem to have a better chance because they get a lot more competitive games.
"Armagh haven't had a game for four weeks. We've had three tough games in the last four weeks. The extra games were definitely a factor in us winning."
