10 January 2018; Donegal manager Declan Bonner, left, and assistant manager Paul McGonigle during the Bank of Ireland Dr. McKenna Cup Section C Round 3 match between Donegal and Fermanagh at Páirc MacCumhaill in Ballybofey, Donegal. Photo by Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile
DONEGAL manager Declan Bonner said he wasn’t too disappointed about losing to Fermanagh on Wednesday.
Bonner’s charges were in a healthy position at the break, but failed to push on in the second half.
However, they did face a Fermanagh side that had nine starters from their Ulster Championship fifteen against Monaghan last May, and three other players that featured in that game.
In contrast, only Mark Anthony McGinley, Martin O’Reilly, and Caolan Ward were regulars for Donegal last season, although Hugh McFadden, Eamonn Doherty, and Michael Carroll were in and out of the team.
“It probably was a bit of inexperience that cost us,” said Bonner, after the match.
“That was a strong Fermanagh side, and a lot of those lads were playing in Croke Park not that long ago, and they have a few boys back now as well.
“From our point of view, it was good to get that type of game, and we’ll get back at it against Monaghan at the weekend, and we now have only two weeks to get ready for the start of the National League down in Kerry and that’s going to be a big, big test.
“Tonight was a learning curve for a lot of these young lads, and I wouldn’t be too disappointed with the result.
“But in the second half, there were a lot of questions that we didn’t answer, especially in the kick-out, where we lost a good bit of ball. We have plenty to work on.”
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