Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna, Section A, round one: Donegal v Armagh (Wednesday, MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey, 7.30pm)
THERE’S nothing like the McKenna Cup to shorten the winter and the much-maligned, but ever-interesting, pre-season competition returns on Wednesday night.
Not a moment too soon, say us fans, and why wouldn’t we with new management in three counties, coaching shake-ups in several more and lots of new players hoping to make a name for themselves.
Jim McGuinness’s second stint begins the process of leaving a turbulent 2023 behind as Donegal host Kieran McGeeney’s new-look ‘North’ Armagh line-up at Ballybofey. It’s three decades now since Armagh last won the McKenna Cup but that statistic hasn’t had any influence on how manager Kieran McGeeney has approached this year’s competition.
About to begin his 10th season in charge of his native county, McGeeney has shown little interest in the McKenna Cup up to now and prefers to sacrifice results and use the pre-season appetiser as a chance to run his eye over some promising youngsters.
That’s exactly what it’s there for of course and for this opener Armagh are without their Cullyhanna players - Aidan Nugent, Jason Duffy and Ross McQuillan - who are preparing for Saturday’s All-Ireland Club Intermediate Championship semi-final against Leinster champions Allenwood from Kildare.
Elsewhere, goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty is still recovering from the injury he sustained playing outfield for his club Grange in July. Rafferty isn’t expected to be back between the posts until the end of the National League so Pearse Og netminder Rhys Stevens gets an early season start in an experimental Armagh line-up that is packed with rookies from the north of the county and includes five players from Clan na Gael and three from their Lurgan neighbours Clann Eireann in the starting line-up.
Good performances in Ballybofey and against Tyrone could pay off for the newcomers as Armagh build towards their Division Two opener against Louth on Saturday, January 27.
Hosts Donegal last won the McKenna Cup in 2018 when they ended Tyrone’s quest for seven in-a-row with a four-point victory. But, in a reminder that McKenna Cup success has to be kept in perspective, Donegal’s League form didn’t match the early-season promise and Declan Bonner’s side were relegated during a typically topsy turvy season that included an Ulster Championship before the Red Hands had their vengeance in the final round of the short-lived ‘Super 8′ All-Ireland series.
After returning to the helm after a decade this is a first competitive game for McGuinness and the canny Glenties native will hope to see the makings of his system bedding in. The Tir Chonaill men had a friendly against Roscommon prior to Christmas and McGuinness will be keen to get a more serious test against last season’s albeit understrength Ulster finalists.
With senior players Caolan McGonagle, Jason McGee, Paddy McBrearty and Niall O’Donnell carrying knocks and Caolan McColgan and Conor O’Donnell both recovering from more serious injuries, McGuinness will give fringe players and young hopefuls an opportunity as he builds towards the National League opener against Cork on January 28.
Donegal: TBC
Armagh: R Stevens; C Agnew, S McClarnon, C Magennis; E Magee, S McCarthy, J Sheridan; T Grimley, P Carr; S Conlon, B O’Hagan, C O’Neill; C Campbell, D Magee, M McConville
Subs: C Lennon, F O’Brien, M McCaughley, E Lennon, T Galvin, R McVeigh, K McDonnell, J McClelland, P Hendron, F Boylan, A Cassidy
