Well, we answered all the questions, didn’t we?

YOU still get it. That heavy-hearted feeling after a Croke Park defeat.

I should probably wait ’til later to scribble this - wait for the blackness to blow over. I’m as disappointed as any of our players, but we have to rationalise, we must put things in perspective.

What have we achieved? After nine months together, these Laois lads have a Leinster winner’s medal in their pockets, and they’ll be back for more. Some reporter said to me in the tunnel: ‘Will you be back next year, Mick?’ Like I have a choice.

Who have we lost to? Only the All-Ireland champions, with an accumulation of big game experience that is second to none in the 32 counties. Joe Kernan is five years on the go with that side, and given that they have to come through the Ulster campaign every season, that’s some wealth of know-how. It showed out there. The small things - breaking ball, a split second hesitation by our lads and they’re caught because these Armagh fellows do it on instinct now; dive on the ball, ride the tackle, hand off possession, make the extra man - they are the masters at it.

They have the one All-Ireland but they could have more - there’s a small bit of comfort in the fact that they couldn’t shake us off by only a crumb. I thought at one stage early in the second half, when we went 0-9 to 0-8 ahead that we might just outstay them, but they are a durable side - they won’t relinquish their crown too easily.

I’m clutching at straws, but the incident where Pauric Clancy won a free and then reacted was crucial. Strangely, the referee turned the free around and gave it to Armagh. Should he not have thrown in the ball? We were two points down and had six minutes left. I felt it slipped away from us after that.

And yet, we answered all the questions, didn’t we? No expert, not one, gave us a prayer, felt we would be overcome by their power, their resilience, the Armagh forwards. In truth, I thought our backs were immense yesterday - although Joe Higgins will be particularly proud of the way he held Steven McDonnell scoreless from play.

Midfield? We slipped out of it for a while in the second half, and never got to the point of controlling the sector at any stage. Armagh probably held sway there over the 70 minutes.

Afterwards, there was no weeping and wailing. I told the players to go back to their clubs and enjoy the County Championship. We’ll start over on November 1. I think we have a young panel rich in potential - there are a few more players to fit into the mix, and if they can be exposed to the same high profile pressure situations next season, they’ll be hard to stop.

Armagh were the side to avoid, even if our lads showed no fear of them ahead of or during yesterday’s game. But they remain the team to avoid from here on in - along with their northern friends from Tyrone.

It’s difficult to examine the runners left in the field until we see how Galway and Kerry get on today, but at this remove I fancy an Armagh-Tyrone final on the last Sunday in September.

The two are almost deadlocked in terms of form - both have developed a winning mentality, but while Tyrone are playing with greater fluency, Armagh have acquired an ability to beat most types of team - including their provincial rivals.

One note of warning, however. Kerry and Galway have that decisive ingredient, experience, that we might have lacked yesterday, and both would be eminently capable of standing toe to toe with the two Ulster counties.

First they must overcome Roscommon and Donegal respectively, and achieve it in such a way that they learn something in the process. Tyrone learned absolutely nothing yesterday about their ability in the white heat of battle, whereas our game was just what Armagh needed after the Limerick qualifier.

You need luck to win an All-Ireland and Joe Kernan would admit that the draw has suited his side perfectly. Now they are poised in the semi final, with a right good test to fortify them for the challenge of Galway or Donegal.

I’m really interested in Kerry today and whether they show enough to shift the predictions for the final. A Kerry team at Croke Park in the Championship is a formidable opponent, but for their own confidence, an impressive victory today is important.