BY RYAN FERRY
DONEGAL manager Jim McGuinness says MacCumhaill Park remains an option to host the Ulster Championship game with Down on April 26.
McGuinness was speaking after his team defeated All-Ireland champions Kerry by four points in Fr Tierney Park.
MacCumhaill Park is currently out of operation as the pitch is being redeveloped.
Donegal will host none of their three home league matches at the Ballybofey venue and it was expected that it wouldn’t be ready in time for that clash with Down.
Donegal are due to face Mayo in their next league match on February 15 at O’Donnell Park and Ulster GAA have scheduled the Ulster SFC quarter-final with Down for the Letterkenny ground.
However, McGuinness is hopeful that MacCumhaill Park may yet be fit to hold the last-eight tie.
“You want to try and win every game and you want to tick the boxes but we are definitely not closing the door on MacCumhaill Park either,” said McGuinness on Sunday.
“That potentially could be an option for us as well so we will just see how the pitch goes to see how it develops over the next few months and hopefully a decision will be made then.”
Donegal are currently second in the Division 1 table after Sunday’s win over Kerry and they will move to the top if they can beat an in-form Mayo in a fortnight’s time.
McGuinness’s men don’t have an Ulster Championship Preliminary Round tie to concern them this year, and would still have a four-week-gap to that Down championship match if they played in the league final.
The Glenties man was asked if reaching the Division 1 decider is a target.
“I think our focus before the league was that we wanted to make sure everybody got through it as safely as possible to develop depth within the squad and see if we can get some of the younger lads more minutes and today will help with that.
“It will help us not to take risks with players and maybe to extend minutes for some players and see what they can do under pressure.
“The likes of Kerry, Galway, Armagh and Mayo are going to challenge you and for a young player that’s a good schooling.”
Michael Murphy returned to the Donegal colours on Sunday and it was his first game since the All-Ireland Final last July.
The Glenswilly man (36) made his senior inter-county debut in 2007 but didn’t take a huge amount of persuasion to go again.
McGuinness said: “Well the question was asked out of manners but it wasn’t a fickle conversation.
“Obviously he had surgery after the final and we have been kind of trying to manage him and mind him and build him up from that.
“But yeah, it’s been a long enough road. He didn’t manage to play for his club in the club championship so it’s been a long enough road.
“It’s great to have him back on the pitch. He was looking forward to that and getting some sort of run out and hopefully we can build his minutes in the weeks and months ahead.”
