'Tough start' for Donegal hurlers as league campaign gets underway

Donegal's hurlers take on Armagh this Sunday in what many predict could be a dress rehearsal for the end of season promotion play-off.

Having been relegated last year after losing the division 2B playoff against Warwickshire, Mickey McCann's squad get their league campaign underway at home to an Orchard County side that will be just as hungry to go up, he insists.

He told Donegal Live: "Armagh are probably our biggest rivals for promotion. They would have been up in division 2A about five or six years ago and they will be looking to get themselves out of 3A having spent the last few seasons there.

"It's a tough start for us, especially when you consider we have Tyrone after them.
“They are also pushing to get out of the division and it wouldn't surprise me if they were in the reckoning too.

"That's two massive games we'll be starting with. It won't be easy, but at the same time if we can hit the ground running and get something out of these two matches, it will put us in a very strong position for the rest of the league campaign."

On the personnel front, Donegal have been boosted by the return to the fold of Setanta pair Gerard Gilmore and Bernard Lafferty, who both took time out from the squad last year.

In addition, their clubmate Declan Coulter is in good physical shape after being plagued by injury last season.

"Declan's our 'go to' man up front," said McCann. “He only played one or two games for us last year so I'm pleased to say he's in good shape at the minute.

"The key is to keep players the likes of Declan, Joe Boyle and Danny Cullen all fit, and on that score I'd say this is the best pre-season we've had since I took over as manager.

"We've a lot of work done already. We've brought in Ryan McLaughlin from Buncrana to do strength and conditioning work and he's done a great job."

And his players will need to draw on those fitness levels, says the Burt man, when they line out in O'Donnell Park this Sunday (throw-in 2pm) against Armagh.

He said: "They are very physical and excellent in aerial positions. They used to beat us all the time, but we won the last two times we met so they'll be looking to reverse that.

"And with Declan being a former Armagh player, there's that wee bit of extra spice.

"There will be lots of hunger on both sides, but if we turn up and match their intensity, we are more than capable of getting a result."