Dr McKenna Cup Section C: Donegal v Ulster University (MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey, 2pm tomorrow)
THERE'S often talk about county McKenna Cup squads being inexperienced and also about the amount of talent in university set-ups, much of it merely managerial mind games.
This time there's no doubt that those respective labels are accurate for both Donegal and Ulster University.
Donegal's decision to go with their U21 panel is a calculated risk, one that brings certain benefits and the potential for more – but one that also could hamper the senior side's chances in the National Football League.
U21 manager Declan Bonner will get several testing games for his squad ahead of the Ulster U21 Championship with the side that he led to the Ulster Minor title – and the county's first ever All-Ireland Minor final – three seasons ago.
The downside for Donegal is that their seniors will not see much McKenna Cup action, at least not collectively ahead of their NFL Division One campaign, although there is the potential for squads to be changed on a match-to-match basis.
Donegal senior boss Rory Gallagher may well feel that a combination of rest for some players and challenge matches for others will be better preparation in January.
In any case, the Fermanagh native will expect to see some of his players in their early 20s in action in Ballybofey, albeit in the colours of Ulster University.
UU manager – and Donegal legend - Martin McHugh has his son Ryan McHugh and nephew Eoin to call upon, as well as Patrick McBrearty, Lorcan Connor, and John Fitzgerald.
McBrearty and the McHughs are among a number of Donegal senior panellists who would have been called up by various university sides in any case, so Gallagher took the view that he would have been fielding a fairly under-strength side anyway.
Bonner may have slightly over-stated the depth of the UU squad when he talked of them having "anything from 15-20 inter county players and I mean top quality players."
However, there are at least a dozen. Besides the Donegal trio of the two McHughs and McBrearty, 'wee Martin' has Tyrone's Ronan McNamee, Rory Brennan, Mark Bradley, and Frank Burns, Ricky Johnston and Niall McKeever of Antrim, Derry duo Terrence O'Brien and Gareth McKinless, Down's Niall Madine, and Ryan McAnespie of Monaghan.
McHugh's problem isn't just selecting his starting 15, it's trimming down a panel of 33 to the 26 allowed for this first McKenna Cup match.
Bonner has already lost one of his better players, forward Stephen McBrearty, to a hamstring injury, while the aforementioned Lorcan Connor is with UU, and Ciaran Gillespie and Cian Mulligan are training with their county seniors.
However, even without those four Bonner still has 10 of the players who started that 2014 All-Ireland Minor Football Final against Kerry.
There are also some players from the team that regained the Ulster Minor crown last summer before losing to a very good Galway team in the All-Ireland semi-final – including joint-captains Niall O'Donnell and Jason McGee. Bonner has also drafted in Naomh Conaill defender Kevin McGettigan.
UU boss McHugh will be missing some key players who helped them win the Ryan Cup Final against DCU after extra time at the end of defender. Ulster captain Eoin Donnelly is involved with his county Fermanagh, while Armagh pair Ethan Rafferty and Stephen Sheridan have been picked by the Orchard County.
Donegal U21s did have an outing in the Hastings Cup last weekend – losing to their Sligo counterparts – which may have them slightly sharper than their university opponents.
However, UU are determined to make a serious challenge for the Sigerson Cup this year, a competition they have not won since 2008, since when it has been dominated by Dublin and Cork sides.
Their players will be playing for starting roles in the Sigerson. Given the greater age and experience of the visitors, and the class of players such as McBrearty, the McHughs, McNamee, McKeever, McKinless and McAnespie – to pick out just some of the Mcs from the 16 on the UU panel – an away victory has to be the likely outcome in MacCumhaill Park.
Donegal panel: D Rodgers, D O'Baoill, T McClenaghan, N Friel, S McMenamin, C Gibbons, C Kelly, M Lynch, C Morrison, D Monagle, A McClean, E B Gallagher, S McBrearty, J Brennan, M Carroll, D Doherty, C Bonner, D Clarke, N O'Donnell, N O'Baoill, M Langan, C Diver, J McGee, B McCole, J Campbell, E O'Donnell, K McGettigan.
Ulster University panel: R Johnston, N McKeever (Antrim); C Boylan, T McConville, J Rafferty (Armagh); M McEvoy, T O'Brien, G McKinless, J Kearney, B Grant, S McGahon (Derry); R McHugh, E McHugh, P McBrearty, L Connor, J Fitzgerald (Donegal); D McKeown, N Madine, S McGonigle, K Colgan (Down); J McCann (Fermanagh); R McAnespie (Monaghan); S Fox, R Kelly, R McNamee, R Brennan, R McGlone, M Bradley, D Gallagher, F Burns, M Walsh, R McGeary, C McCann (Tyrone).
