Mickey Linden, a celebrated figure in Down's football history, believes the county can find the formula to dethrone Donegal writes GAVIN CUMMISKEY

IT’S THE Ulster championship so nothing is certain. We spoke to Mickey Linden this week. A man who gave 21 years of a spectacular football career to Down and their wars with the neighbours.

Linden, footballer of the year in 1994, kept it simple; Down can win their first Ulster title for 18 years by remaining true to their traditional game. Catch, look up and move it inside. Ambrose Rogers and Kevin McKernan must own the sky – must ensure the ball is in the sky too – Danny Hughes’ motor must crank up once again. Get it into Benny Coulter’s chest by any means.

And get it in there before the Donegal barriers are erected. Because once they are, their game becomes a militaristic march that few teams can halt.

“Donegal,” Linden begins, “it will be hard for James [McCartan] to work out how to break them down. The way they set up, the way they defend, it is going to be very hard to break that structure down.

“The only way Down can do it, I think, is if they are strong around the middle of the field, win a lot of ball and have players coming off the breaking ball, scrapping in there for possession. If we win most of that ball and get it in early to our corner forwards and full forward we have a chance. That’s the only way I see it.”

He stops himself to consider the opposing argument. “Donegal play a very patient game. Tyrone are a fabulous team and you saw how they played against them. They are going to be very hard to play against.”

The madness of the Monaghan semi-final is irrelevant now. Sure, it was a thrilling spectacle. But Jim McGuinness’s Donegal don’t surrender two-point leads, never mind the nine points Monaghan coughed up on June 24th.

“It’s obviously about taking our chances when we do get them,” Linden continued. “If we can get a wee bit of momentum, get a few scores on the board, the confidence will build within the team.”

We don’t mention his name. The man who returned to Australia. Marty Clarke was a huge part of Down’s progress to the 2010 All-Ireland final.

That was a qualifier journey. Tomorrow sees them in an Ulster final for the first time since Linden’s closing campaign of 2003. More commonly known as the rise of the Red Hand. Having scored four goals to force Tyrone, and their 1-17, to a replay, they were thumped 0-23 to 1-5 by Mickey Harte’s young Turks.

“That was my last year playing senior football. We nearly had them the first day and then . . . Tyrone were already very strong at that stage, Down were a team in transition. The likes of myself and a couple of others were getting to the end of our careers while Benny and Dan Gordon were becoming established players. Danny Hughes was becoming important to the team.”

Linden already had two Ulster medals to go alongside the Celtic Crosses won in 1991 and 1994. The ’91 Ulster title was particularly sweet. It has comparisons to the predicament facing McCartan’s group tomorrow.

Donegal were defending champions but had to wait another year before capturing Sam Maguire as Down swept past them and everyone else on their way to September glory. They cemented their place among the great teams in 1994. Then came the flat calm period before they broke onto the national scene once again in 2010.

Despite’s Clarke return to Collingwood in the AFL, Linden makes an argument for Down being a better rounded team now. “Probably just down to the fact they have Ambrose (Rogers) playing again.

“To be fair, in the first two games of the championship we didn’t have a fully fit team. We are nearly back to full strength, with Benny Coulter who may not have played very much but physically is fit again.

“Dan Gordon and Liam Doyle are available for selection as well. The overall strength of the panel may be stronger this time.”

Sport is cyclical by its very nature, of course. Unless someone spoils the natural order. This is supposed to be Donegal’s time. They annexed Ulster and are poised to re-inforce this territorial dominance before heading south to Croke Park. Just like 1992. Of course, Down ruined all that in 1991.

“Any neutral looking at the match will favour Donegal but nobody is unbeatable. We’ve seen how well the likes of Westmeath went against Kerry at the weekend. It’s championship football. I honestly believe Down have the players to win.”

How good are Donegal though?

“You have heard the analysts on TV put them in the top three or four in the country. That remains to be seen, doesn’t it? If Down win on Sunday all that will change. But Jim McGuinness has stuck to his guns, he is clearly building a team there and he has got a fierce commitment from them.

It will be interesting to see how it will go.”

It must be frantic, clean ball must be gathered, moved swiftly inside, where the Benny and others must raise the white and green flags. Simple.

Now, go do it to Donegal.