Gavin Cummiskey asks Donegal legend Martin McHugh if his county men can overcome the challenge of the All-Ireland champions on Sunday

The talk of 1992 hasn't begun yet, but if Donegal get over the huge hurdle of Armagh on Sunday at Croke Park, the tongues will start to wag from Gweedore to Ballyshannon.

Armagh won the Ulster title last year at the expense of the men from the north-west in the final. Shortly after, the fortune of the two teams went in different directions.

For Joe Kernan's side, the provincial final was the beginning of an ascent that ended on the steps of the Hogan Stand.

However, for Donegal - though they shocked Meath in the qualifiers and almost did the same to Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-final - their league form this season and early-championship form seemed to signal that they were going backwards, rapidly.

"They should have won that game," says former Donegal captain Martin McHugh, referring to last year's provincial final, "but at least it allowed the players to believe they are capable of beating this Armagh team.

"I think we will beat them, Tyrone is a different matter, and I'd be more worried about them. Our running game is going to cause Armagh problems.

"We will have to keep it wide, to players like Brian Roper. We cannot go square or across, we must keep moving forward."

Defeat in the 2002 Ulster final - and the subsequent win over Meath in the qualifiers - meant a meeting with a swashbuckling Dublin in a Croke Park that was packed to the rafters.

Despite Adrian Sweeney tormenting Dublin all afternoon, Tommy Lyons was still in possession of his "get out of jail free" card and the game finished without a winner. Donegal celebrated, but Dublin prevailed in the replay.

When Donegal found themselves back in an identical situation this year, everything had changed.

"The credit goes largely down to the manager," McHugh says. "After the first Galway match the team were put straight back on the bus.

"After the Dublin match last year a lot of them stayed down in Dublin until the Tuesday. They were almost happy to draw with Dublin."

A disastrous start to the year, when they failed to win a National League game until they were already relegated, was immediately followed by a tame exit from Ulster in their first match, against Fermanagh.

Brian McEniff, who was manager the only time Donegal have brought the Sam Maguire to the north-west, must have wondered why he had agreed to combine his role as chairman of the county board with managing the county side.

"It was hard on him at first, it took him a while to come from being the chairman to the manager," says McHugh.

"Players didn't know him, but once the familiarisation process was dealt with, it improved. He carries a presence everywhere he goes.

"He is a successful businessman as well, so he knows how to deal and communicate with people. He has been involved in every semi-final Donegal have been in, even in 1972 (and 1974), when he was player-manager."

They got past Longford and when a fancied Sligo were also beaten, suddenly the pre-summer hammerings they'd received were forgotten.

In the third-round qualifier, the GAA decided to give Donegal's fixture against Tipperary a place on the undercard of Dublin and Armagh at Croke Park.

It turned out to be a priceless advantage for McEniff's men as they got all the issues that playing at headquarters can throw up out of their systems.

They failed to ignite yet struggled past the one-man show that is Declan Browne. It is very rare the championship affords you such an opportunity.

So, they found themselves back in a quarter-final, but again seemed to have blown their chance when a late Kevin Walsh point forced a replay.

It appeared all the Tribesmen had to do was pick themselves up and regroup in preparation for victory. Not so.

"I feel replays are won in the dressing-room immediately after the first match. We already knew the footballers were good enough in Donegal, but the people only started really believing after they beat Galway. They travelled, but it took that win to really convince them.

"The focus has been there this year. Donegal are as good a team as anybody else, but the organisation is now also there.

"However, that is also evident in the Tyrone and Armagh teams as well."