Jim McGuinness has said he is simply so proud of his young team after they came from such a low base last season to conquer Ulster.
The Glenties man was speaking just moments after Shaun Patton saved from the penalty spot at Clones to send Armagh crashing out of Ulster Championship once more.
McGuinness was smiling from ear to ear as he spoke to the media surrounded by well-wishers on the turf at Clones.
“I’m so proud of these boys. There’s too much talk about management and all that there, these are the boys that have done it.
“They came from a low base, they trained hard, they got their heads down, and they’re Ulster champions.
“That’s the thing that gives you most in your heart, that they’ve climbed that ladder.”
The game ended all square 0-20 to 0-20 even after extra-time on a day filled with sunshine, rain, thunder and lightning.
But it was Donegal who struck like a bolt out of the blue as they took the Anglo Celt Cup with a late blast.
McGuinness said his team are constantly learning after admitting that they made mistakes yesterday.
“We were in the same boat against Armagh up in Armagh and we responded,” he added.
“There were a lot of things today that we can tighten up on and sharpen up on, but there were a lot of moments throughout the course of the season where they’ve been challenged.
“Up in Armagh was one of them. The wheels came off in Croke Park [against Armagh in the Division Two final] and they responded again, and in the Tyrone [Ulster semi-final], we were three points down twice.
“In the second half, it felt a long way back but they responded.
“For all the talk about them and their frailties, they’ve managed to dig deep and get the results.”
