Joe Kernan celebrates the win while McEniff looks devastated

Donegal boss Brian McEniff quit his post after Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Armagh - but not before launching a broadside at match referee Michael Monaghan.

McEniff was furious at the dismissal of full-back Raymond Sweeney early in the second half.

Donegal led by four points at that stage but Armagh with the extra-man were finally able to make their dominance of possession tell in the closing stages to claim a 2-10 to 1-9 victory.

"I'll say what I have to say because it's my last game as team manager as everybody knows," said McEniff.

"I've been involved in football management for 31 years on and off and had (only) four players sent off.

"Strangely enough that man, the referee, has sent off two of them in the last five months.

"It was disappointing that we had to play the entire second half with 14 men. We're not a dirty team," added the Donegal boss.

We played football for what it was worth Brian McEniff

McEniff insisted that he would not be coaxed into continuing in the job.

"I've done my time. I came in when I was needed. I got a great buzz from those young boys for the last three months. It made me feel young again".

The Bundoran hotelier paid tribute to the Armagh team.

"We played football for what it was worth and Armagh played football for what is was worth.

"They are great champions. They say that they didn't get the recognition that they deserved, but I always gave them the recognition".

Armagh boss Joe Kernan was a relieved man at the finish.

"Another easy day in Croke Park," joked the Crossmaglen man.

"The boys did great. Unbelievable. great character. When everything seems to be going wrong, somebody always seems to pull it out of the fire".

Michael Hegarty tries to get past Andrew McCann

Kernan laughed that he knew McConville would hit the net with the last-gasp penalty.

"You can't miss them all," said the Armagh boss in a jokey reference to the forward's spot-kick failure in last year's All-Ireland Final.

"We wanted to be in that final. We can do no more than we did today.

"The final will be a different kettle of fish but we'll enjoy ourselves tonight and tomorrow we'll sit down and think about the final".

Kernan refused to get drawn into the debate on the whether the intense rivalry between the two sets of supporters could make the decider an unpleasant occasion.

"All I can do is send out our players to do their best.

"I can ask for no more and those boys will give everything they have to win a second All-Ireland.

"We've a chance of doing something that hasn't been done for a long, long, time".

1990 in fact, when Cork retained the title.

We took our beatings and didn't complain Joe Kernan

Kernan paid tribute to Donegal's display.

"They made us fight tooth and nail today.

"They are a good side and like ourselves, they will learn from today and will be back".

Kernan also had sharp words for the southern voices who have dismayed by Ulster's dominance this year.

"We came down here enough times, got beat heavily and went back with our tails between our legs, getting told what a great team we were.

"This is our time. We took our beatings and didn't complain and I think they should do the same".