Armagh All-Ireland winner Steven McDonnell believes the county is long overdue an Ulster title, but doesn’t feel they are over-reliant on star forward Rian O’Neill.
The former Footballer of the Year was part of the famous 2002 All-Ireland-winning squad and was also a member of the 2008 squad who won Ulster. That replay win over Fermanagh was the last time Armagh got their hands on the Anglo Celt Cup.
The current Orchard crop are regarded as one of this season’s most likely winners, but they’ve a stiff hurdle to clear in their opening game as they face Donegal in Ballybofey in Sunday’s Ulster SFC quarter-final.
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The winners of Sunday’s eagerly-awaited clash will then be strong favourites to progress to the Ulster final at the expense of either Cavan or Antrim, who meet in Corrigan Park on Saturday.
McDonnell feels an Ulster title for Armagh could act as a springboard for the current team, much like their success in 1999.
“It would be absolutely massive. All I can remember is when we lifted it in 1999, it was 17 years since we won it,” said McDonnell.
“We’re almost at that same time-frame again and we saw how big of a deal it was back then - it gives the county as a whole a massive lift.
“It can stand as a platform for the team to develop and push on in the next couple of years as well.
“From an Armagh supporter’s point of view, I think it would be a welcome return to the winning table. We are definitely craving an Ulster title at this stage.
“For the development of this team, they need to see silverware as well.”
Armagh’s chances of clinching a semi-final berth were greatly improved when star attacker Rian O’Neill had his one-match ban overturned last week.
Even better news came for Kieran McGeeney earlier this week when Aidan Nugent and Stefan Campbell had their suspensions lifted arising from the melee at the end of the League defeat to Donegal in Letterkenny last month.
Donegal opted against seeking hearings for Neil McGee and Odhran McFadden-Ferry and the pair will miss Sunday’s game while Armagh didn’t appeal the one-game ban handed out to Ciarán Mackin as he was ruled out with an eye injury.
While O’Neill is rated as one of the top forwards in the country, McDonnell doesn’t believe that Armagh are a one-man band up front.
“Armagh are very lucky in that department in that they’ve plenty of forwards capable of producing good scoring returns,” said McDonnell.
“Stefan Campbell has been sprung from the bench, kicking a couple of points every game.
“Aidan Nugent, for me, is a remarkable footballer. If you go to enough club games in Armagh, you’ll see that he is one of the most prolific forwards that we have. You probably don’t see that side because he is playing a different style of football for Armagh.
“On his day, Aidan Nugent is more than capable of scoring 1-6, 1-7 in a game.
“We haven’t seen Conor Turbitt. He lit up the Armagh club Championship last year and he is coming back. From what I’m led to believe, he is fit from the injury he picked up in the Mayo game.
“If Conor is given his opportunity, he is as prolific a forward as we have in the county. We’ve plenty of forwards who are quite capable of scoring points and scoring goals - Rory Grugan is another one who never lets the side down.”
He added: “For any team worth their salt or to have ambitions of being successful, you always need to have marque forwards - Rian O’Neill is, no doubt, Armagh’s marque forward.
“Other players will and have to step up to the mark and Armagh have players who are capable of doing that.”
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