All-Ireland semi-final countdown: Seán Moran hears why though Donegal may have wised up they won't get the better of the champions.

Very few people have as informed a viewpoint on Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final between Armagh and Donegal as John Morrison. Well known in national coaching circles, Morrison has also been involved at the coalface with his own county Armagh, as assistant coach, and as manager of Antrim.

Over recent years he has been an assistant to Mickey Moran at both Donegal and, this year, Derry. So he was involved with the Donegal side that ran Armagh close in last year's Ulster final. Morrison says that a central tactic was built around countering Armagh's captain and centre back Kieran McGeeney and how best to deploy his marker, Michael Hegarty.

"The question with Kieran McGeeney is whether to mark him or to stand off him. Michael Hegarty makes great use of diagonal ball and will also get frees. Our game plan was that Hegarty shouldn't go near McGeeney but stand off him. Then we'd get it to him and he'd spray it around and that way we could punch holes in Armagh.

"That's what we did. We certainly punched enough holes in Armagh's defence but didn't convert the chances."

Having won by four points Armagh went on to lift the county's first All-Ireland. After last May's bump in the road the champions are back with, if anything, a more formidable aura than last year.

"This year I'd say they're more confident and more defensive," says Morrison. "They're not scoring as many goals but not conceding them either. Apart from Steven McDonnell they're more noted for keeping goals out. Last year a lot of people said they were lucky. But I don't believe in luck."

Under Moran and Morrison Donegal reached last year's All-Ireland quarter-final before losing to Dublin in the replay. They had looked the better team in the drawn match but, notoriously, celebrated as if they had won.

Earlier this month they took former champions Galway to a replay and made no mistake. Morrison believes that Donegal have a better focus this year.

"It's taken Donegal a year to grow up. Last year they wanted to party; this year they want to play football.

"Galway were catchable, and I said it at the time. There was too much being read into Kerry, Galway and Meath this year. There were a lot of sell-by dates being ignored.

"The two (quarter-final) draws that were most badly wanted were Armagh getting Laois and Donegal-Galway - Galway because they had shafted Donegal in a challenge. That was a crucial game for Donegal because they wised up afterwards and the draw handed them an incentive."

With Tyrone already in the All-Ireland the remainder of the championship is an all-Ulster affair.

Familiarity at provincial level means the remaining counties won't have any hang-ups about each other, according to Morrison.

"One-on-one, Armagh are not particularly intimidating but collectively they are and if they can intimidate they've got you."

In as much as he has a slight preference for Armagh it is based on the durability of the champions' attack, their ability to make something out of even unpromising possession and to improvise.

"Armagh are the only team that can work with bad ball. Diarmuid Marsden and Steven McDonnell have a phenomenal record with whatever service they get.

"A good forward will come to the ball with a defender's eye. In other words he will be absolutely committed to getting it rather than thinking about what he'll do if the other man gets it.

"Armagh's front men also have the capacity if they're not going well to lay off the ball. They peel off and feed it to Loughran or McGrane or whoever's coming through."

He believes that Armagh's game plan is well established at this stage but that Donegal have more room for variation.

"Donegal will probably use Damien Diver as a sweeper and John Gildea in the hole in front of the defence.

"Paul McGonigle will be a third midfielder. There are options for Brian Roper: a sixth man around the middle with a straight two up front; with the front two in a triangle, or as an extra half forward. Armagh may not play with a sweeper and put Andy Mallon on Roper."

Morrison points out that each county has a certain confidence about itself going into the closing stages of a match but that the two views are incompatible with each other.

"Armagh are convinced that if the game is open going into the last 10 minutes that they'll win because they've built a reputation for finishing. But Donegal feel that if they're within spitting distance that they can come from behind, even sneak a goal. And that's never happened to Armagh."