Orchard County too hot for Kingdom

THE future is orange in Gaelic football. Amid scenes of unbridled joy in Croke Park yesterday, Kieran McGeeney made history as the first Armagh man to lift Sam Maguire and started the biggest party his county will ever know.

A county who have endured more hard times than any other, have got their just rewards. And they did so in remarkable fashion. In one of the gutsiest second-half performances of the championship, Armagh out-fought, out-thought and out-played hot favourites Kerry, to pave the way for the last great All-Ireland pitch invasion.

Things were looking grim for the Orchard County in the first half. They lost John McEntee, one of their most influential players, to injury and in shades of the '53 final between the two teams, Oisin McConville missed a penalty.