Ciaran McKeever felt his Armagh side did well to finish within four points of a fancied Derry team in last Saturday's Ulster MFC opener at the Athletic Grounds.

“From day one when I took this job, I knew teams like Derry, Tyrone, Monaghan, and Donegal were 10 points better than Armagh. Our aim this year was to narrow the gap on those teams,“ the former county star noted in the Irish News.

“Derry are a very athletic team and would hurt us if we were naïve and pushed up on them, left gaps in behind. We tried to mirror them as much as possible but they got in behind us in the last 10 minutes and got the decisive goal, which was the difference in the end.”

McKeever wasn't using the stormy conditions as an excuse after the teams could only manage 10 points between them.

“I don’t think the wind was favouring anybody, it was blustery and swirling the whole time. It wasn’t a great day – both teams have good forward lines but unfortunately it wasn’t a day for those lads to shine,” he added.

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