Ulster SFC Final Quotes: Donegal manager Brian McEniff put yesterday's defeat down to a lack of footballing sense.

Armagh manager Joe Kernan went into the Donegal dressing-room and told them that sometimes you have to "hurt to learn" in the long term, while Kieran McGeeney thanked everyone for the Ulster title before insisting it must now be consigned to history.

Time to move on. Two teams moving in different directions though. Armagh have gone and raised the bar once more.

Last to appear for the waiting media was McEniff. As ever, courteous to all, he responded to the defeat in a manner that only someone who has seen the highest peaks of the game could.

"We started badly. We didn't match Armagh. They showed the passion. They were quite awesome today but having said that we didn't match them for hunger."

Although they were in touch at periods, McEniff cited the first goal (by Diarmuid Marsden) as the pivotal point in the contest. That, and Colm McFadden's shot off the crossbar when his side did hit their purple patch. Another negative was the loss of Christy Toye (shoulder injury) for the qualifiers.

"I can't take away from Armagh's performance," insisted McEniff. "We will lift our heads and we will be back because we let our supporters down today as much as we let ourselves down. There was a great many of them and it is very disappointing to be a Donegal man today in Croke Park because we didn't show that Donegal can play."

Spare a thought for John Gildea. Time is running out for one of Donegal's senior statesmen. Less time for revenge, less time for that elusive Ulster winner's medal.

"This is the fourth Ulster final and it doesn't look like I'm going to get a medal at this stage but, ah, you know, I thought maybe this would be the year after we turned it on against Tyrone but it didn't just happen for us today."

Kernan didn't have to say much as his team did the talking. Their main focus is to join the other great teams through history and win a second All-Ireland but Armagh still hunger for Ulster titles.

"I think we proved this year that the Ulster title is the most sought-after one and the most precious one," said the Crossmaglen man.

That may be true, but McGeeney epitomises the attitude that brought Armagh to the mountain top in 2002. Even in his acceptance speech he talked about the next step. The hunger is still certainly there.

"It was a great team performance today and we were delighted with that. I know that sounds a wee bit clichéd but it does mean a lot when the team puts in a performance like that.

"That's done now. Next game. People will be looking at that to see our strengths and weaknesses.

"We just have to forget about it after tonight and get back to work tomorrow.

"I can put it in the same context as everything else, it's in the past now. We came to do a job and that was it.

"It's special because it's the fourth Ulster championship in six years and no other Armagh team has done that. But we also know that the expectation in the county doesn't stop there."

Only problem now is Armagh will be burdened with the favourites' tag. Ulster's strongest have that cross to carry.

"Yeah, it does have an effect. Things have to be written - how you read it just depends on your own perspective.

"Some players read it and get mad at it. It's one of those things, everyone has an opinion. If they didn't it would be a very boring world, wouldn't it?"