Kernan's Orchard ready to Erne revenge for their quarter-final defeat

INSOFAR as he can afford to be, Armagh manager Joe Kernan is upbeat about his team's chances of overcoming Fermanagh in Sunday's Ulster SFC preliminary round in Clones.

His confidence comes not so much from winning the Allianz Football League for the first time, more from a conviction that they are much better prepared to take on the team which dumped them out at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage last season.

Agreeing there is pressure on his side to justify their favouritism, Kernan argues that there will be much more pressure on Fermanagh to live up to the reputation they established for themselves last season.