Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney paid tributes to his players who overcame a series of emotional hits over the last three seasons to bring the county to just their fifth ever All-Ireland final after a thrilling extra-time win over Kerry.
In a scarcely believable run, the Orchard County lost back-to-back Ulster finals and back-to-back All-Ireland quarter-finals on penalty shoot-outs from 2022 to '24.
When their game with the Kingdom finished level after 70 minutes, those thoughts were surely in the mind of supporters again, but the Armagh players grasped the game from there to secure a 1-18 to 1-16 win.
McGeeney, who has confounded his many critics inside the county this season, turned his praise onto his squad.
"Every time you play Kerry you know what you're going to get. It’s quick, it’s fast, it’s aggressive," he told RTÉ Sport.
"Backwards and forwards, we missed a few goal chances first half, they missed a few in the second half.
"We missed a few easy scores, they got a few easy scores so it was one of those games that you’ll look back on and you’ll go s**t that’s a lot of mistakes. I suppose for the neutral that’s the type of game they like.
"To come out on top is great for the players. To get that semi-final into an All-Ireland final, like we still haven’t won anything but still it’s a great achievement for a team that’s been knocked back and knocked back and knocked back.
"I’m delighted for them, I hope they realise there’s a big thing in front of them.
An error from Shane Ryan and Barry McCambridge gratefully finds the net. One point in it!
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"The other two teams (Donegal and Galway) will be delighted, Dublin and Kerry are out but all we can do is turn up and give it our best. I think if we give it our best, we’ll give any team a rattle."
There was a sea of orange in the 55,648 crowd at Croke Park but McGeeney said it was important they blocked out the expectation before launching a staunch defence of the current game.
"We have Kerry (his wife Maura) in our house too, they’re used to winning All-Ireland's.
"We have Kerry in the camp with Kieran (Donaghy) and they find the expectations even difficult.
"We’ve won one (All-Ireland) and they’re going in expected to win it every year. There’s a good thing and a bad thing with that.
"You're trying to block that out from the players and sort of say that it takes a lot of effort, it takes a lot of teamwork, it takes a lot of blocking out of other stuff out.
"But there’s a lot of enjoyment in it. People keep knocking the GAA....
"Everyone is giving out but it’s funny, the boys were watching past games of ourselves and Kerry from 20 years ago and they’re just laughing at us.
"They laugh at us, 'this is the stuff we're being told that we’re no good compared to you?’
"I do think we have a great spectacle; don’t get me wrong, there are bad games but we televise more games now.
"I don't know how it was for the neutral but it definitely was heart-stopping stuff on the sideline."
McGeeney also praised the profesional approach of Donaghy, who had the unenviable task of trying to end the Sam Maguire ambitions of his native county.
"We have a great set up there with Conleith Gilligan, ‘Brooky’ (Ciaran McKeever), Dennis [Hollywood], Ciaran McKinney and ‘KD’ himself.
"’KD’ has a long trip a couple of times a week with a young family, Hilary [his wife] has a lot to do with that as well.
"Like most Kerry people, he’s either all in or he’s all out."
Meanwhile, defender Aaron McKay, one of Armagh’s star turns in 2024, said that the criticism levelled at the team for their many near misses was never going to seep through.
"We've probably been unlucky the last few years with penalty shoot-outs and we’re thinking to ourselves we could have been back-to-back Ulster champions, could have been in two All-Ireland semi-finals already.
"We fell short ultimately in the shoot-outs.
"People were quick to put us down, maybe we'd peaked and that was it, we'd go away again.
"But we just got back on the horse every time, and we’re just gad to be there. we haven't won anything yet but hopefully we can go one step further and get the ultimate prize."
