Darren O'Leary and Red Hughs quickly turn attention towards Naomh Muire

Darren O’Leary says that an away trip to the Banks is as difficult as it gets in the IFC this season.

The Red Hughs boss oversaw a 2-13 to 0-10 opening win against Cloughaneely at home on Saturday night.

The hosts were most impressive over the hour but O’Leary knows that next weekend’s away encounter at Naomh Muire will be a much sterner test of his side’s IFC credentials this term.

READ NEXT: Red Hughs open IFC tilt in confident fashion against Cloughaneely 

“This was an important game for us - we targeted this and we just wanted to get off to a good start and get an opening win in front of our home crowd,” he told DonegalLive.

“It just means we go to Naomh Muire now in good standing next weekend and we know that’s going to be a huge challenge.

“But we’re looking forward to that. They impressed during the league and they were off the mark too in good fashion in Na Rossa.”

The Lower Rosses outfit went away to Dooey at the weekend and emerged 1-19 to 0-13 winners. And O’Leary says Naomh Muire are one of the teams to beat in this term’s race to be crowned champions.

“Danny O’Donnell has done a great job there. They are up to Division 1 and they’d be one of the favourites for the Intermediate Championship.

“We’ll give it a rattle. We have some very good footballers too and they’ll look at this as a real challenge, a barometer even of just where they’re at.

“We got our own promotion to Division 2 and we just want to see where we’re at now in this championship.

“I haven’t been involved in Intermediate since 2007 when we won it at MacCumhaills. But it’s a seriously competitive landscape. I think there are seven or eight sides with realistic ambitions and that’s a brilliant way for it to be.”