Hurling & Camogie

Donegal set to rest key men for Derry trip

Declan Coulter (right) is among those expected to be rested by Donegal this weekend as they travel to Derry. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Declan Coulter (right) is among those expected to be rested by Donegal this weekend as they travel to Derry. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Declan Coulter (right) is among those expected to be rested by Donegal this weekend as they travel to Derry. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

Allianz Hurling League Division 2B: Derry v Donegal (tomorrow, 2pm, Ballinascreen)

QUIETLY, the plates of Ulster hurling’s middleground continue to shift.

Donegal will come to Ballinascreen tomorrow as underdogs. What’s new about that is that it’s because their league safety is assured and manager Mickey McCann has already indicated he will rest a handful of key players.

The Tír Chonaill men will finish third in Division 2B, their best league finish in history. They annihilated Mayo last weekend, winning 4-18 to 0-13 over their western rivals who were admittedly without Keith Higgins.

There’s no questioning that Donegal hurling has made significant progress in the last decade. They haven’t denied that it’s been significantly aided by imports such as Declan Coulter, Luke White and Gerry Gilmour.

Coulter is among those set to be given the weekend in reserve as Donegal start to turn attentions towards a Nicky Rackard Cup they’d rather not be in and will be favourites to retain.

It almost feels as though they’ve hit a ceiling and that they need the Christy Ring status that last year’s success ought to have earned them in order to progress again.

Derry will play in the Christy Ring but sit bottom of Division 2B having been beaten by Mayo and hammered by Kildare, the latter fate the same as was dished out to Donegal by the overbearing Lilywhites.

It hasn’t been a smooth start at all for Dominic McKinley in the Oak Leaf hotseat. With a very young panel, they were edged out by Mayo but beaten out the gate in Newbridge.

Derry missed plenty in a decent start but found themselves overwhelmed as time went on, losing 5-17 to 1-14 in the end.

They’ve since lost Eoghan Cassidy (concussion) for this game, while Chrissy Henry and Niall Ferris have both left the panel in recent weeks.

Brian Cassidy had a fine game at full-forward against Kildare, hitting 1-5 from play and two superb sideline cuts. Between his and 1-8 in total and Slaughtneil clubmate Cormac O’Doherty’s 0-15, the scoring threat hasn’t been difficult to identify.

Donegal will play off Richie Ryan and Ronan McDermott in attack, but having name-checked Declan Coulter, Danny Cullen and Sean McVeigh as men who could do with a rest, it’s hard to see Mickey McCann’s side winning if they stick by that.