It is hard to ignore Armagh?

Tyrone's Brian Dooher lifts aloft the Anglo-Celt Cup last season

Not for the first time this century, Armagh are hot favourites to win yet another Anglo-Celt Cup this season?

The Orchardmen are heading for their seventh title in 10 years with only Fermanagh left to stop them.

With the early bookmaker's favourites having fallen like skittles, Monaghan, Tyrone, Donegal and Derry can only think of what might have been.

So can Fermanagh finally win their first Anglo-Celt Cup? One thing for sure, you cannot rule them.

To come back from a deficit against a Derry side that were tipped to go the full distance, Malachy O'Rourke's side's never-say-die attitude and passion blew away the Oak Leaf county.

Armagh, though, are made of much sterner. They fight for reach other and never relinquish a foothold on the opposition.

Some are even qondering whether Peter McDonell's side can go the full way in lifting the Sam Maguire.

A bit soon yet to say that, and furthermore, Fermanagh might want some of the glory before then.

ANTRIM

Manager: Jody Gormley Ground: Casement Park Last year: Lost to Derry in first round Antrim website

The defeat on their home turf by Cavan was not what Antrim needed as they find themselves again confined to the Tommy Murphy Cup.

Missed chances was the pertinent point during the game, but the build-up did not exactly inspire those looking into the Antrim camp.

Maybe they can now take a leaf out of Wicklow's books. The Garden county defeated Antrim in last season's Murphy decider, a result that gave them the momentum to shock Kildare in the Leinster Championship.

Now it is up to the players to prove that they have the passion to follow suit and make a second successive trip to Croke Park.

Antrim 1-14 1-19 Cavan

ARMAGH

Manager: Peter McDonnell Ground: Athletic Grounds, Armagh Last season: Lost to eventual champions Donegal in first round Armagh website

It is a Championship debut for Peter McDonnell, and how he is enjoying it as the Orchard County go for their seventh Ulster title in the last decade.

The new boss has so far overseen some atonement for lapses last season when they lost their opening tie to Donegal and then bowed out of the Qualifiers to Derry.

Senior citizens such as Oisin McConville, Steve McDonnell, Paul McGrane, Enda McNulty, and Aidan O'Rourke are still there to oversee a battalion of young guns whose legs are full of running.

Armagh maybe in the throes of a transition period at present, and their form in most of the NFL was indifferent, but they have improved so rapidly they must now be hot favourites to lift their 14th Anglo-Celt title.

Key player: Paul McGrane

Cavan 0-13 0-17 Armagh

Down 0-11 1-12 Armagh

CAVAN

Manager: Donal Keoghan Ground: Breffni Park Last season: For the second successive season lost to Down in preliminary round Cavan website

It has been a disappointing NFL campaign for Donal Keogan's side making their opening championship clash with Antrim a defining point.

However, Cavan did show some promising signs in the league as they defeated last year's All-Ireland finalists Cork in addition to losing a number of tight games.

The fact that the Division Two wooden spoonists have not been able to field a settled team has not helped Keoghan.

Cavan have been conceding too many scores in the league and still rely rather a lot on players who have been round the block quite a few times - Dermot McCabe, Anthony Forde. Mark McKeever and Jason Reilly.

Paul Grimley's coaching expertise has not been bringing tangible rewards so far, but that could change dramatically in the Championship.

Key player: Seanie Johnston

Antrim 1-14 1-19 Cavan

Cavan 0-13 0-17 Armagh

DERRY

Manager: Paddy Crozier Ground: Celtic Park, Derry Last season: Lost to Monaghan at the semi-final stage Derry website

The beauty of the Ulster provincial title is that he is a true competition and test of a team's credentials as Derry found to their cost.

Those attributes that saw them defeat Kerry to lift the NFL Division One title and again when they dispatched Donegal with a cracking second-half performance, were nullied by the passion of Fermanagh in the semi-final.

Manager Paddy Crozier will be scratching his head and pondering what went wrong with a team that was supposed to come strong in the second half.

But with Paddy Bradley tightly marked, Derry could not release others players to do the damage. They will have to recifiy this if they are to proceed further in the qualifiers.

Key player: Fergal Doherty

Donegal 1-12 1-14 Derry

Fermanagh 1-11 1-9 Derry

DONEGAL

Manager: Brian McIver Ground: MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey Last season: Beaten by Tyrone at the semi-final stage Donegal website

The psychological scars suffered during last year's Ulster Championship still remain as Donegal crashed out of the Anglo-Irish Cup.

Brian McIver's side once again fluffed their lines in the second half against Derry when they had the Oak Leaf boys hopes blowing in the wind.

But they fail to add to their three-point lead as Derry over-ran their midfield. Donegal will need to work a little harder to make up for the lack of height when they come to the qualifiers.

Although they showed indifferent form in the NFL, they have enough experience, guile and subtlety to come good - afterall they showed it in the first half against Derry.

Key player: Colm McFadden

Donegal 1-12 1-14 Derry

DOWN

Manager: Ross Carr Ground: Pairc Esler, Newry Last season: Lost to Monaghan in the first round Down website

Down threatened, but just did not have the wherewithall to deal with Armagh in Sunday's semi-final.

Ross Carr's side showed they had plenty of guts to hold Tyrone in the first game before covering themsevles in glory in the replay with a waspish reposte as they ushered Tyrone out of the Ulster.

But as Carr was well aware of, his side are inclined to self destruct, and they did that in spades against Armagh with a performance lacking in quality, accuracy and any real urgency.

They had hoped that the passion and panache that dispatched Tyrone would help overcome Armagh, but when the basics go awry, there is little one can do.

Key player: Brendan Coulter

Tyrone 2-8 2-8 Down

Replay: Down 1-19 0-21 Tyrone

Down 0-11 1-12 Armagh

FERMANAGH

Manager: Malachy O'Rourke Ground: Brewster Park, Enniskillen Last season: Lost to Tyrone in the first round Fermanagh website

Who would have given Fermanagh any chance of reaching the Ulster final this season. Not many I suspect

For a start, few people expected new Erne boss Malachy O'Rourke to enjoy such a scintillating start to the NFL where Fermanagh topped Division Three before losing narrowly to Wexford in the final.

Furthermore, neither did they expect to see off last year's defeat finalists Monaghan in the first round. But they did, and with a sustained passionate performance that lifted morale further.

With that strong spirit still prevalent they showed Derry the door with an exquisite second-half display in which the fit-again Barry Owens came off the bench to score a decisive and cracking goal.

Who will back against them now?

Key player: Mark Murphy

Fermanagh 2-8 0-10 Monaghan

Fermanagh 1-11 1-9 Derry

MONAGHAN

Manager: Seamus McEnaney Ground: St Tiernach's Park, Clones Last season: Lost to Tyrone in the final Monaghan website

Now we know. Monaghan haven't got what it takes to make the step up to be Ulster champions for the first time since 1988.

Their dynamic surge into the quarter-finals of the All Ireland Championship last year has been followed by a feisty NFL campaign, albeit missing out on promotion, is now consigned to the bin.

Manager Seamus McEnaney may have a very committed squad at his disposal, but they will need toi show that they mean business when they arrive at the back door.

Monaghan do boast a potentially productive midfield, a smart defence and quality forwards in Tommy Freeman and Paul Finlay who can punish defences from play and the placed ball. Admittedly against Fermanagh the Farney men had the ball, unfortunately, there was a Fermanagh man arriving along with it.

Key player: Paul FinlayKey player: Mark Murphy

Fermanagh 2-8 0-10 Monaghan

TYRONE

Manager: Mickey Harte Ground: Healy Park, Omagh Last season: 2007 Champions Tyrone website

Rumours of Tyrone's fall from grace were rampant, but had they real substance? Definitely, after Down came back from the dead in the replay to knock them out of the Anglo-Irish Cup in extra-time?

That shock result straight away it puts pressure on manager Mickey Harte, who to be fair has had nothing but bad news since he guided the Red Hands to All-Ireland success.

His side, lacking genuine firepower did not cover themselves in squeezing a draw from Down in the first game at Healy Park. They were less convincing in Newry when twice they allowed big leads to evaporate before finally crashing out.

Tyrone, though, will hve learned a lot from both games, and it may be at the quaifying stage that they will awake from their slumber. But don't bet on it.

Key player: Conor Gormley

Tyrone 2-8 2-8 Down

Replay: Down 1-19 0-21 Tyrone