It's one game at a time for Downings in Ulster

Downings - the newly crowned Donegal junior champions - switch their focus this weekend to the Ulster junior championship quarter-final when they face Down champions Aughlisnafin at Newry’s Pairc Esler on Sunday, 1:30pm.

It is Downings’ third outing in Ulster with all of those appearances in the last 10 years, while for Aughlisnafin it is a very first outing at provincial level. Their domestic success was the club’s first adult championship success since being reformed in 1992.

“We don’t know much about them other than they are supposed to be strong down the middle and they have a number of lads who were in the Down U20 squad,” said Anthony Boyle, a member of Downings’ three-man management team alongside Kevin ‘Cookie’ Gallagher and Barney Curran.

Full-forward Adam Garland top-scored for Aughlisnafin with 1-5, in their 2-11 to 2-8 county final win over Dundrum, while midfielder Oran Flanagan struck 1-2, centre half-back Brendan Comiskey posted 0-3 and Shea Comiskey chipped in with a point.

Downings were comfortable 1-10 to 0-4 winners over Letterkenny Gaels in the Donegal final the weekend before last when Allen Pasoma scoring the goal.

Downings are determined to do well in Ulster. And if there are any doubts about their intentions the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Celebrations after Sunday week’s final win were put to bed early and Downings were back training last Tuesday night, just two days after the county final.

“Barney Curran told the boys the first night we got the squad together back at the start of the championship that he did not take on the job to be just happy with a Donegal title. He told them he wanted a run in Ulster,” says Boyle.

“We got them back last Tuesday night for a light session and to get to turn their thoughts now to Ulster. We are mainly working on sharpness because we felt it was something we lacked in the county final. I know we won well but we also created a lot of scoring chances that we did not take.

“We might have got away with in the county final but we are going up a level now and we are in Ulster and we are going to have to take every chance we get. We are playing to create the chances and now it is a matter of sharpening up on our shooting.”

Gary Bán McClafferty has been struggling all season with fitness due to injury, but the management are hopeful he will be able to make a contribution, if he is called up on Sunday.

There are also injury concerns about Kevin ‘Gooch’ Doherty and Danny McBride and they will be monitored closely this week.

“We are hopeful we will have them but it will be later in the week before we will make a call on their fitness,” Boyle added.

“The one thing is we are lucky we have a strong panel and we have a number of young lads pushing hard to get into the team. “

In 2012, Downings lost to Drumhowan from Monaghan in the first round and in 2016 - the last time they were in Ulster - they defeated Magilligan, the Derry champions, in the first round but went down to Blackhill from Monaghan, in the semi-final.

“We would like to build on what Andy Connors and the team of 2016 achieved,” Boyle added. “But it is not wise to look too far ahead and for now we are looking no further than Sunday’s game.”

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