BY MATTHEW WILSON
DONEGAL minor football coach Michael Byrne is hoping that his side can perform on the pitch when they take on Cavan in the Ulster Minor Football Championship this Saturday.
Donegal are entering the championship off the back of a mixed Ulster Minor League campaign where they recorded a win over Armagh, a draw with Antrim and suffered defeat to Monaghan and Derry.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Byrne expressed that it was an up and down league for them but one which he thinks was full of learnings for the collective group.
“It was up and down for us. It was an opportunity to see the squad and a lot of players would’ve been used during the league.
“It was definitely a great learning curve for us, our form was probably up and down. There were glimpses of some really good performances within games but it’s just that consistency.
“We probably weren’t consistently at the level that we’d like to be over the course of the league but I think there’s plenty of learning there for us and the group.”
Even in defeat during the Ulster Minor League, Karl Lacey’s outfit performed well and were competitive in each of their encounters.
In the losses to Monaghan and Derry, Donegal suffered a two-point defeat to the Farney men before losing out by three points to the Oak Leaf County.
These are all good tests for this young group of players and contests where the former Malin manager saw positives from the side which they can build on heading into the championship.
“Definitely, we were competitive in every game and there was very little in the games. We lost to Monaghan which was a kick of the ball and we lost to Derry which was the same.
“Within both of those games there were some really positive signs from us so there’s plenty to build on. The league was a great foundation for us heading into the Minor Championship now.”
Another key takeaway from Donegal’s league campaign was the number of players that they got minutes into throughout the four matches.
Lacey utilised his group of players well and this will help them going forward in the season, with it undoubtedly strengthening the squad depth in the Donegal minor panel.
Byrne expressed that the training pitch is a competitive setting for this group of players, with everyone pushing each other on and challenging for jerseys which has made the team selection for their championship opener a difficult one.
“Absolutely and that’s the great thing about this group of lads. Even the lads that aren’t starting are pushing the lads who are getting a jersey every week and it’s creating a real competitive environment which has been positive for us.
“That’s what makes picking the team heading into the championship difficult. It’s not just a foregone conclusion, there’s plenty of decisions to be made and that’s a credit to the lads within the group.”
Since the defeat away to Derry in their final Ulster Minor League encounter at the beginning of the month, Donegal’s focus has been turned to the Ulster Minor Football Championship which commences this weekend.
All of the work undergone so far this term will have been geared towards this point of the season and they’ll be looking to hit the ground running.
The Donegal minor coach discussed that all the preparations for the championship opener have gone well but stated that it’s about showing that when they take to the field this weekend.
“The preparations have been going really well. The great thing about these lads is that they’re really hungry to learn, to improve and to get better.
“You can see that in every training session, you can see the energy and they’re a really coachable group. They want to get the best out of themselves and that’s great from a coaching point of view, working with lads that are really pushing themselves.
“We’re in a good place going into the weekend but all will be told now on Saturday against Cavan. The preparation is brilliant but now it’s all about what we can do on the pitch this Saturday and that’s what the focus is at the minute.”
Karl Lacey’s outfit will make the trip to Kingspan Breffni Park this Saturday afternoon for their Round 1 clash against Cavan.
The Breffni County are coming into this encounter off the back of a positive league campaign where they lifted the Shield courtesy of a victory over Derry in the showpiece.
They’ll provide Donegal with a stern test when the pair face-off this Saturday and having met Cavan in the Ulster Minor Championship last year, they will be aware of what they’re capable of.
“Absolutely and you can see from the results in the league, every team is really competitive. There’s Monaghan, Armagh and now Cavan who beat Derry in the Shield Final as well.
“Cavan are a really good outfit. The lads would’ve played them last year as well and they’ll be aware of the threat that they pose to us on Saturday.”
A victory this Saturday over Cavan would leave Donegal in a strong position in the competition and only a win away from a place in the semi-finals.
The stakes are high when the two teams meet this weekend, with a defeat leaving both sides one loss away from exiting the championship on the flip side.
Byrne discussed that this is a match which has been on their radar for a while and he’s just hoping that the players can produce a performance that they’re capable of when they make the trip to Cavan.
“That’s the objective. Every night that you go out to training you’re looking to improve and the focus has been on this game for a long time now.
“It’s exciting and we’re all looking forward to it now. If we can put in the performance that we believe is within this group then the result will hopefully take care of itself.
“It’s just about being in position to put in the best performance that we possibly can and then we’ll see where we are after that.”