As Donegal enter the second stage of a hectice schedule with the Nicky Rackard Cup beginning on Sunday, manager Mickey McCann looks ahead to another ‘competitive’ campaign.
Donegal travel to Fermanagh at Maguiresbridge and McCann will be hoping to repeat the success of the 2020 team that won the competition after a good league campaign.
Donegal lost only to league winners Derry in their Division 2B campaign, before losing to Sligo in the promotion semi-final, but McCann stressed before the campaign that avoiding relegation was the goal.
McCann said: “Phase One we completed what we wanted out of the League, we maintained our status and pushed at the top end of the table so that was satisfying but now it’s all guns blazing (for the Nicky Rackard).
“We’ll not be underestimating them, we know what happens when we do that so we’ll be giving Fermanagh all the respect they deserve.”
The team are in for another hectic schedule off the back of a busy league campaign, with five games in six weeks in the Nicky Rackard, added to a possible final after, so McCann knows the toll it will take on his side.
“If you pick up a wee knock, the following week you’re gone so it asks a lot of questions of the strength and depth of the panel. We seen that in the league with the hectic schedule.
“But we showed we had strength in depth but no doubt it’s going to be sore on the bodies the next five or six weeks if we are to get to a final, you’re going to pick up a lot of injuries along the way.”
The format of the Nicky Rackard Cup means the top two after five rounds of games will face in a final to decide the winners, so McCann knows that Donegal must get off to a good start if they want to be in contention for the final:
“If you lose one, you’re under pressure and if you lose two, you’re gone so you have to try stay unbeaten after the first two or three games.
“It’s very important we start off with a result against Fermanagh on Sunday.”
Donegal suffered plenty of injuries during the league campaign but McCann addressed the where the squad is currently at fitness wise, with a couple key players returning.
“Richie (Ryan) is back, this week is probably a bit early for him, he’ll probably be in the 26.
“Declan (Coulter) is in contention for a starting spot as is Jack (O’Loughlin), the only doubt now is we’ve lost Bernard Lafferty, he’s looking at three or four weeks out so he’s a big loss, a very steady performer for us.
“Ruairi Campbell has come back so we’re probably stronger than we are at the end of the league we’ve a few bodies back but we’ve one or two missing again.”
Watch the full interview below:
