Orchard County reach the Promised Land

THEY are finally closing in on the Holy Grail. Yesterday in Croke Park, 25 years later, what they once called intestinal fortitude - and the width of a post - guided Armagh to the gates of the Promised Land.

Kieran McGeeney and Joe Kernan held reality on a tight leash when they reminded everyone around them that there are no podiums for second place but this was about more than winning a football match for Armagh. This was about redressing history, laying demons to rest and finding that route to their promised land, which fate has denied them in the past three years.

How much will this victory mean to the Orchard county? The image of Kieran McGeeney’s face as he conducted the pre-match huddle, contorting with a manic desire to win, will leave a lasting impression on those who saw it.