Trevor Alcorn feeling his way, but confident of success at Gaoth Dobhair

On his first night in the Magheragallon dressing room, Trevor Alcorn admits to embarking on a who’s who voyage.

His appointment as the new Gaoth Dobhair manager was late with pre-season’s box ticked and the opening Division 1 game against St Michael’s imminent.

Succeeding Kevin Cassidy and Joe Duffy in the hotseat at a late hour was perhaps a questionable move. For Alcorn, though, it was a no-brainer.

Gaoth Dobhair were the Ulster and Donegal SFC champions in 2019 and head Donegal’s roll of honour alongside St Eunan’s with 15 titles.

“It’s a big club,” Alcorn tells Donegal Live.

“There are high expectations in Gaoth Dobhair. There always are high expectations there. They’re one of the biggest clubs in the county.

“They expect success every year. It brings pressure to the job, but you couldn’t come down to a better group of people.

An alternative view: Donegal can't scale Derry's walls - and now the climb steepens

Following a blistering run to the Ulster final, Derry were still outsiders against Donegal on Sunday and whilst their victory wasn’t a shock to many, it leaves Declan Bonner’s in a precarious position looking into the All-Ireland qualifiers, as Alan Foley explains

Following a blistering run to the Ulster final, Derry were still outsiders against Donegal on Sunday and whilst their victory wasn’t a shock, it leaves Declan Bonner’s in a precarious position looking into the All-Ireland qualifiers

“Men would say to me: ‘What are you down there for?’ but I couldn’t be in a better place. They all row in behind you and they have your back.”

They welcome west Donegal neighbours Cloughaneely to Magheragallon on Saturday evening having won four and lost four of their opening eight games in Division 1.

Alcorn says: “It’s been the same for me as probably every other manager this year. You’re dealing with a lot of boys away, a lot of boys at college.

“It’s a busy time of year with exams, communions, confirmations and what not.”

The likes of Eamon McGee, Micheál Carroll and Peter McGee have been injured of late. Donegal duty has prevented the involvement of Neil McGee, Odhran McFadden-Ferry and Daire Ó Baoill.

Naoise Ó Baoill emigrated to Canada earlier this year. Others, Alcorn concedes, may flee the nest in due course.

He says: “A lot of players, particularly boys of a young enough age, didn’t get a chance to get away with Covid.

“We suffered with injuries early on in the year.  We have a good few bodies to come back in, but there might be a few heading away too.

“It’s very hard to replace players like that and we still have to make do without Neil McGee, Odhrán and Daire. We still have good experience in around the young players.”

Alcorn was Francie Friel’s number two when Termon won the All-Ireland senior ladies title in 2014.

In 2019, Alcorn took Termon to the Donegal minor championship crown and they reached an Ulster final, losing to Lavey.

While it hasn’t been straightforward out west, Alcorn believes Gaoth Dobhair can pack plenty of punch.

He says: The first day I came into the dressing room against St Michael’s, I was learning names. There is a big learning curve. We were very unfortunate in that game against St Michael’s, we definitely could have got something from it.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries to deal with. We were riddled for a while there and it felt like we playing catch-up a wee bit, but as the year goes on now I can see us improving.”