Kernan says backdoor gave champs chance to put house in order

JOE KERNAN takes reassurance in believing that his Armagh team is better than it was last year, when it won its first All-Ireland football title.

However, he said yesterday that he is expecting the semi-final against Donegal to be a tough assignment, adding that the team will have to play to its full potential to get back to the final.

"Thank God for the backdoor, that we were able to get in and get up and running again. The further we have gone the better we have seemed to get. But we have a real challenge now. Laois was a challenge, Dublin was a challenge, and now we are playing the team who are probably the team of the championship," he said.