Donegal face formidable Down test in crucial league clash this weekend

The Donegal hurlers will traverse the province on Sunday when they take on Down at Ballycran and can expect a difficult outing against the league leaders.

Having almost caught Meath on the hop in Trim on the opening day, Donegal bounced back by defeating Tyrone at O’Donnell Park on Sunday but their third assignment in the Allianz National Hurling League Division 2 is as difficult as it gets.

Ballycran lies in the middle of Down’s hurling heartland on the Ards Peninsula, and Donegal manager Mickey McCann has been hugely impressed by their start to the season under counterpart Ronan Sheehan.

McCann was in the stand at Owenbeg last Saturday to see the Mournemen inflict a 2-26 to 0-13 defeat on Derry where Owen Sands and Tim Prenter hit the goals, and marksman Tom McGrattan hit 0-15, nine from placed sliotars.

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“Down look like they're heading for Division 1B!” he said. “It’s going to be a tough test for us this Sunday.

“I saw them against Derry, and while Derry was missing a few boys Down just looked to be a step above.”

A step above. Intercounty hurling is filled with tiers and steps, and the gaps between them are immensely wider than in football. Donegal have climbed several steps over manager McCann’s eight-year tenure and having reached Division 2 he and his squad will be doing all in their power to stay there.

The manager is realistic, though, and travels to Ballycran more in hope than expectation.

After all, Down were the favourites to win Division 2 before the season began and their opening day win over Kildare followed up the demolition of Derry gives credence to that.

“There’s a couple of teams in this league who are just too strong for us, but we have to target the teams that are coming to Letterkenny,” McCann says. “We’re looking forward to having Kerry at home at the end of the month, a really good team coming to O’Donnell Park and we’ll see how we can step up to that level.”

They’ll need to step up a level in Ballycran too and can’t afford a repeat of the wastefulness that characterised their first-half display against Tyrone last weekend.

Donegal had played all the hurling but held only a one-point advantage at half time before finding another gear and running out 10-point winners at the end.

Gerry Gilmore was moved out to midfield, while young Oisin Kelly was given the task of marking Aidy Kelly and did a fine job of curtailing the influence the Tyrone playmaker had on proceedings. That freed up Sean McVeigh to play as an extra defender, and with Liam Og McKinney and Sean Ward sharing eight points from play, and Conor Gartland getting the game’s only goal, the manager was well pleased with the win.

“We weren’t happy at halftime as we’d left some chances go, but we really picked it up in the second half.

“It was a great result for us. But we’ll have to try and find another result in this league to keep us in it, and we have some tough opponents ahead.”

None tougher than Down on Sunday.