John Cleary predicts that Donegal will 'be a match for anyone' in 2024

Cork manager John Cleary believes Jim McGuinness will make ‘contenders’ out of Donegal again.

Donegal had 11 points to spare in Sunday’s Division 2 opener in Ballybofey as Patrick McBrearty posted 1-6 in a 1-20 to 2-6 win.

Cleary admitted the experience was ‘an eye opener’ with his side firmly beaten.

McGuinness might have been operating with several experienced players unavailable, but Cleary was impressed with Donegal.

Donegal open Division 2 in style with hammering of Cork

It was Jim McGuinness’s first league game in charge of his native county in almost a decade and although early days as it is, Donegal have a bit of a pep about them

“They moved it very quickly, over and back,” Cleary said.

“In the first half, they had two wides and their shooting was impeccable. They managed the game very well when they were five or six points up. I think that they’ll be a match for anyone going forward.

“The players that they are missing will only make them stronger. I think they will be contenders, definitely.”

Cork travelled north west on Saturday, but the Rebels were left to ponder a heavy defeat on the five-hour journey home.

Cork opted to play against the stiff Ballybofey wind in the first half. Having found themselves 0-12 to 1-3 in arrears at the break, Cork were outscored 1-8 to 1-3 in the second half, by which stage the anemometers were spinning considerably slower.

Cleary said: “We had played against the wind in the last three or four matches that we had, the McGrath Cup and challenge matches, and it worked out. If we had known the wind would die at half-time we certainly wouldn’t have.

“Donegal got four points early on, we didn’t get to the pitch of it and they drove on.

“I’m not making excuses, there was a gale there in the first half but when we came out after half-time the wind seemed to have died considerably. Look, that wasn’t the reason we lost like that.

“Donegal were at the pitch of the game much better than us, they pushed up better than us, they outfought us, outplayed us, there were too many things that went wrong for us and they played very well as well.”

Eoghan McSweeney and Chris Og Jones netted goals in either half for Cork, but McBrearty’s goal five minutes from the end gave Donegal a handsome margin at the conclusion.

Clear said:  “To be beaten is not the end of the world but the performance we would be very disappointed with.

“We are capable of being much better than that, we have played better than that.

“Last year, the most we were beaten in any game by was four points so to be defeated like that the first day was very disappointing. It was a complete eye opener and it is back to the drawing board.”