Joe Kernan with the Anglo-Celt trophy

"We had to work really hard for the win and every one of my players gave their all out there," Kernan told the BBC at the final whistle.

"Donegal were brilliant as we expected but we managed to stay ahead of them and kept adding points when they came at us in the second half.

"It was tight enough towards the end and I thought the referee was never going to blow the final whistle."

Half-forward Oisin McConville top-scored for Armagh, notching five points, while John McEntee got their early goal and added another point.

Jim McGuinness scored Donegal's goal 10 minutes from time to set up an exciting finish.

McEntee's goal, which separated the sides at half-time, came in the second minute of the match and was the result of a bad mistake by Donegal goalkeeper Tony Blake.

Late strikes

A breakdown in communication between Blake and his full-back line saw the ball bounce off the crossbar and Armagh's half-forward was able to fist home from close range.

Donegal missed a number of good chances to get points on the board as the Orchard County opened a 1-6 to 0-6 lead at the break.

Armagh, who were the pre-match favourites to lift the trophy, started the second period very strongly and threatened to run away with game.

But some great point-taking by Adrian Sweeney kept Mickey Moran's men in it before McGuinness's goal in the 60th minute closed the gap to two points at 1-11 to 1-9.

It was a fine effort from the midfielder as he rolled a couple of Armagh defenders before beating Brendan Tierney at his near post with a good left-foot finish.

Donegal looked like they might draw level but late strikes from McConville, Stephen McDonnell and 19-year-old Ronan Clarke made sure the trophy would return to Armagh.

Armagh scorers: Oisin McConville (0-5), John McEntee (1-1), Ronan Clarke (0-3), Stephen McDonnell (0-3), Diarmuid Marsden (0-1), Aidan O'Rourke (0-1).

Donegal scorers: Adrian Sweeney (0-4), Jim McGuinness (1-0), Brendan Devenney (0-3), Christy Toye (0-2), Adrian Sweeney (0-1), Paul McGonigle (0-1),

Armagh: B Tierney; E McNulty, J McNulty, F Bellew; A O'Rourke, K McGeeney; K Hughes; J Toal (P Loughran (sub 51 mins), P McGrane; P McKeever (sub B O'Hagan 30 mins), J McEntee, O McConville; S McDonnell, R Clarke, D Marsden.

Donegal: T Blake; S Carr (sub D Diver 31 mins), M Crossan (sub C McFadden 48), N McGinley, R Sweeney, B Monaghan, K Cassidy, J Gildea, J McGuinness, C Toye (sub E Doherty 48), M Hegarty, B Roper (sub B Boyle 63), A Sweeney, B Devenney, P McGonigle (sub K Rafferty 54 mins).

Attendance: 30, 219

Ulster Minor final result: Derry 0-12 0-11 Tyrone

Leinster hurling final: Kilkenny 0-19 Wexford 0-17