John O'Mahony Football AnalystThe uniqueness of this year's All-Ireland football final pairing struck me for real a couple of weeks ago when I attended the presentation of the Ulster All Star awards in Armagh. Twelve of the award winners were from either Tyrone or Armagh.

The tension was palpable all night and it jumped out at me that tomorrow's game would be the most nerve-tingling conclusion to an All-Ireland championship ever.

What surprised me a little on the night was that if either of the teams seemed the more relaxed it was Tyrone, who are less experienced on this big stage.

The hype surrounding the all-Ulster final in Croke Park has overshadowed the fact that we have the two best and most consistent teams in Ireland over the past couple of years squaring up to one another.

Armagh have only lost one championship game in that time while Tyrone have built on their minor and under-21 wins by gaining two National League titles. Their only failure was the loss to Sligo last year but I think they made the mistake on that occasion of thinking about the next round.

Armagh have made four changes from last year - Paul Hearty, Andy Mallon, Phillip Loughran and Tony McEntee have come in for Benny Tierney, Justin McNulty, John Toal and Paddy McKeever.

All of the newcomers have brought something new to the party. Hearty's kick-outs have been well placed and varied. Mallon has added much-needed pace to the full-back line. Loughran has taken some of the weight off Paul McGrane's shoulders and McEntee's role has been vital at centre back, giving Kieran McGeeney more freedom from his defensive duties.

On the downside for Armagh, Ronan Clarke, because of his major groin injury early in the season, has struggled to find last year's form and doesn't seem to fit in as well at right half forward. Also McGeeney, while still having a huge influence going forward, has struggled somewhat defensively. I think this is because he has picked up a few injuries this year.

Tyrone are reaping the harvest from four underage All-Ireland-winning teams (two minor and two under-21) as well, of course, as having real quality veterans like Peter Canavan, Gerard Cavlan and Brian Dooher.

As well as being a driven team, Tyrone's management are in their first year so there is huge hunger in the back room as well. They have also managed, during the championship, to solve certain problem areas in the team, namely at midfield and full back.

Mickey Harte moved Cormac McAnallen from midfield for the replay against Down, after they were in all kinds of trouble in the drawn game, conceding four goals in the process. It has worked like a dream. McAnallen has grown into the position and played superbly against Kerry.

The fears that this would weaken the midfield area were quickly dispelled, as Kevin Hughes and Seán Cavanagh have not only totally dominated the middle third of the field but also have had the time to help in defence, with Cavanagh, in particular, getting some vital scores going forward.

Another vital ingredient in this Tyrone team is the pace with which they break out of defence. They certainly have an advantage over Armagh in this area.

The intensity of the first 25 minutes against Kerry has not been matched by any other team in this year's championship - and that includes Armagh.

The champions compensate somewhat by being able to hold onto possession because of their greater strength. Essentially, tomorrow's result will come down to a battle between Tyrone's pace and hunger and Armagh's physical strength and experience in surviving tight finishes.

Armagh cannot afford to give Tyrone the start they got against Kerry because they won't reel in the league champions like they did Donegal. The system Tyrone use has, I believe, restricted their goalscoring ability this year (only three to date in the championship).

One factor that could have a crucial bearing on tomorrow's result is how it is refereed. Brian White's style is to let the play flow as much as possible but this may not work in this match, which is sure to be of high intensity and restricted space.

This kind of game is difficult to referee because if you let it flow it could end up with a lot of confrontation and if he pulls everything it could lead to many stoppages and end up as a poor spectacle.

When all is said and done I expect Tyrone to prevail in a tight game mainly because of their talent, hunger and pace. I feel Armagh, despite all their experience and self-belief, haven't met a team of the quality of tomorrow's opposition.

Tyrone have quality in every line of the pitch, from goal to full forwards, and also plenty of options on the bench. In all their games this year Tyrone have targeted the danger men in the opposition. They have done this in a legitimate fashion.

For example, Darragh Ó Sé and Séamus Moynihan got very little room in the semi-final, and expect similar attention for Stephen Mc Donnell, Diarmuid Marsden, Paul McGrane and company. The recent injuries to Canavan and Ciarán Gourley are a worry for Tyrone but presuming all the news is positive on that front, expect Canavan to be accepting Sam Maguire on Sunday evening.