The Ulster combination on this year's Vodafone All-Star team proved too much for last year's crop in a tough and highly defensive exhibition game in San Diego.
A hat-trick of goals by Paul McGrane - in the first half hour - gave the 2002 selection the confidence and momentum to squeeze a further nine goals past their opponents, complementing the 18 points they fired over the course of the afternoon.
It quickly became apparent that Joe Kernan's Midas touch has continued into the New Year and afterwards, the Armagh manager admitted he had been gravely concerned about the game beforehand.
"We all stayed up late over the last few nights trying to plan what we wanted to happen. It couldn't have worked out any better. Most importantly, the players gave 100 per cent."
Kernan devised an ingenious game plan based around the searing Californian heat, under which several of the players wilted. He blithely ignored the gasping pleas for a breather from several of his charges. Finally it dawned on them that he was granting clemency only to those who contributed to making the scorekeeper's day even more frantic.
The result was Peter Canavan, John McEntee and the tireless McGrane each rattled home a goal in the last two minutes of the half. And in the second half, Armagh goalkeeper Benny Tierney set off downfield on a highly profitable jaunt.
"All right, I let in nine goals but I scored a point," reasoned the Armagh stopper afterwards.
"I think that shows why I'm retired. Although Cormac Sullivan should be thinking about retiring too. He let in 13."
For a period in the second half, it looked as if the 2002 side was determined to achieve the perfect score of 20-20, with John Gildea, Steven McDonnell and Chris Lawn producing a quite savage work rate.
"They played like men possessed out here, to be honest," said 2001 All Stars manager John O'Mahony at full time.
"Peter Canavan and Kieran McGeeney and the lads were excellent. We'll note it for later on. Ah, we managed to peg it back at bit and I imagine when we get back to national leagues in the rain and the storms things might be a bit more even."
The 2001 side's comeback was a brief and barely noticeable affair, although Kernan did look a bit anxious when 2002's once significant lead was whittled down to six and then four goals.
Ollie Murphy led the revival for the men from 2001 with a personal tally of 3-7 and Galway's Kieran Fitzgerald and John McEntee of Armagh were also highly prominent.
"I think questions have to be asked about the fitness of 2001," conceded O'Mahony before retiring for a deep think about the game.
" It looked as if some of us haven't trained since then. But it was good exhibition stuff."
Asked if he could draw anything positive from the experience, he was silent for a time before replying, "It was a beautiful day out there."
That much was unarguable. They appear to have invented a sprinkler system for rainfall in San Diego, using it only to freshen the vegetation with occasional droplets.
During the pre-match parade, the teams marched to the jubilant and up-beat sounds of the El Mariachi brass section whose repertoire did not include The Fields of Athenry.
However, their sound was incessantly happy and the feel-good vibes they spread around the ground possibly contributed to the fairly laissez-faire approach of the 2001 side.
Things threatened to turn nasty midway through the second half when Damien Mitchell accosted Sligo's Eamonn O'Hara with what appeared to be a tackle. However, he apologised to both the player and the crowd in general and the match was concluded without incident.
There was another flurry of goals before the finish, with a particularly fine strike by Tipperary's Declan Browne and the American audience seemed very pleased with the high scoring ratio. The teams played 13-a-side because of the narrow field.
"We are delighted with the way things have gone. They players put on a great show and it's good to have them out here and with the weather, it couldn't have worked out any better," said Kathleen Gardiner, chairwoman of the Southern Californian Divisional board.
The touring party drew ex-pats from all over the south western region of America, particularly those with an Armagh connection, one of whom had managed to travel home four times last summer to see his county play in the championship.
Many of the victorious players planned on heading up to Las Vegas yesterday to see if they could keep the hot streak going and intend seeing the LA Lakers play in the Forum tomorrow evening to see if the basketball champions can reach the kind of scoring figures set in this exhibition in San Diego.
"It has been fantastic," said Kernan. "These lads play each other all year but rarely get a chance to meet each other but there's boys here who have made friends for life.
"There is a lot of hard work to be done in the months ahead and when we arrive in Dublin on Thursday morning and the cold air hits us, we will know what is ahead of us. But we'll not worry about that for a while."
ALL STARS 2002 (player rotation): B Tierney (0-1); E McNulty (0-2), C Lawn (0-1), A Lynch (0-1), A O'Rourke (2-0), K McGeeney (0-1), K Cassidy (1-0), P McGrane (3-1), J Quane (0-1), J Gildea (0-1), E O'Hara (1-0), D Browne (2-1), S McDonnell (2-5), P Canavan (2-4).
ALL STARS 2001 (player rotation): C Sullivan, F Fitzgerald, D Mitchell (0-2), G Doherty: Meehan, L O'Brien, S De Paor; K Walsh, R O'Connell (1-1); E Kelly (1-3), S O'Neill (1-1), J Bergin (0-2); O Murphy (4-5), J McEntee (0-2), J Crowley (2-2).
Referee: J Bannon (Longford).
