Laois - 1-14 Armagh - 1-11 Yesterday, having led another county to a national final, Mick O'Dwyer insisted his first-year aspirations had been genuine, that he would have settled for the sanctuary of a mid-table finish.
Nobody knows this territory like the Laois manager so he would have recognised that for all that was admirable in his team's performance, Armagh's questionable hunger was a major influence on this Allianz NFL semi-final.
Armagh were a parody of their true selves. Both Oisin McConville and Kieran McGeeney were absent and the team lacked the iron-clad urgency that proved so difficult to crack in last summer's championship.
By the end four more players were laid low: Enda McNulty (dislocated or broken shoulder), Kieran Hughes (shoulder), Barry O'Hagan (ankle ligaments) and Paul McGrane (stitches). They have three weeks to recover before the championship starts.
Manager Joe Kernan refused to accept that injuries had played a role and put it down to a bad day at the office. If so it's his team's first bad day in knockout competition since they lost at the same stage of last year's Division Two and against the same opposition.Maybe they need a break but it will be surprising if the All-Ireland champions give as laboured a display again this summer.
None of this is to disparage Laois. As Mick O'Dwyer pointed out, they have come a long way since he took over last October. A year ago they were emerging from the lower regions of the league - and their sojourn hadn't been one of those sabbaticals the likes of Armagh take from time to time. Now they are into a first national final since winning the league 17 years ago.
It's not easy for a developing team to go to Croke Park and beat the All-Ireland champions, no matter how lax the latter's disposition. Yesterday was played on an edge throughout, with Laois never more than a score from defeat until injury time. In the circumstances they showed promise and determination.
Although pleased with the result, O'Dwyer will know that his side could have done better.
Playing against a strong wind in the first half they did well to finish a mere point behind but the scoreline could have been even better. Beano McDonald, in the 14th minute, and Colm Parkinson, in the 27th, had great goal chances but the first was badly wide and the second was blocked for want of a convincing finish.
Still it was a happy return to Croke Park for Parkinson. After the squabbles with O'Dwyer's predecessors, the Portlaoise player is settled and playing lively football. His three points and goal chance were testimony to his energy around the pitch. Whereas his wanderlust was in the past risky for a wing back, it suits his current role in attack.
Only last week Pauric Clancy was given the Footballer of the Month award and yesterday he reminded the attendance why. In the first half especially his workrate was faultless and his catching a cut above the other three centrefielders. After the break his vigilance set up Laois's goal and his ability to carry ball at the Armagh defence caused havoc, particularly with McGeeney hors de combat.
At the back, Laois were composed and sharp on the ball. Joe Higgins and, later on, Derek Conroy read Armagh's game well and cleared a great deal of ball.
Even against the wind the midlanders looked the more incisive with their quick movements and unflagging support play - though like Armagh they tended to cough up possession.
Armagh kept pace easily for long stretches even without two of their best defenders (McGeeney and Enda McNulty) and two of their best attackers (McConville and Ronan Clarke). That will reassure Kernan.
For a spell before half-time Armagh moved into a three-point lead and looked like they might take a grip but Laois responded to trail by 0-8 to 0-9 at the break.
Within two minutes of the restart John Toal's casual hand-pass out of defence was intercepted by Clancy and his quick pass to Damien Delaney was rewarded by a crisply taken goal to hand the initiative to Laois.
Delaney's return has greatly improved the team's firepower and he ended with 1-6.
Just four minutes after the goal, a poor free from Paddy McKeever broke in the square and replacement Martin O'Rourke directed the ball into the net.
O'Dwyer said that he was glad Armagh responded so quickly because it allowed him to see "what these fellas are made of".
His team made their case with three unanswered points to open a gap Armagh could never quite close.
LAOIS: M Nolan; T Kelly, C Byrne, J Higgins; D Rooney, K Fitzpatrick, D Conroy; P Clancy, N Garvan (0-1); C Parkinson (0-3), I Fitzgerald, M Lawlor (0-1); B McDonald, S Kelly (0-2), D Delaney (1-6, four frees). Subs: H Emerson for Fitzgerald (40 mins), R Munnelly (0-1) for Lawlor (43 mins), D Miller for S Kelly (63 mins).
ARMAGH: P Hearty; E McNulty, J McNulty, F Bellew; K Hughes, A O'Rourke (0-1), A McCann; J Toal, P McGrane; P McKeever (0-2, one lineball), J McEntee (0-1), B O'Hagan (0-2); S McDonnell (0-4), D Marsden (0-1), T McEntee. Subs: A Mallon for E McNulty (22 mins), M O'Rourke (1-0) for O'Hagan (38 mins), P Loughran for Toal (38 mins).
Referee: M Collins (Cork).
