Donegal's Nickey Rackard ambitions fueled by last term’s disappointment 

Donegal senior hurling boss Mickey McCann hopes the hurt of losing last year's Nickey Rackard Cup final to Wicklow will drive his players to victory in this year's decider.

Donegal and Mayo will battle it out this Sunday in Croke Park and, speaking at Tuesday night’s official press briefing ahead of the game, McCann was candid about this term’s motivation. 

“For me, last year’s defeat is a factor. It was a bad changing room to go into after. 

“At half-time we were in a good place. We were four points up and we left a couple of scores behind us as well. 

“We had a first-half penalty shout and should possibly have had another goal so we could have been even further ahead”. 

Donegal had led Wicklow 2-8 to 0-10 at the midpoint that day but the opposition stormed back in the game in the second half to run out 1-20 to 3-12 winners.

“The strength in depth Wicklow had in the second half turned the game. They brought on a number of players that gave them fresh legs.

“In fairness we were struggling with injuries too. Declan Coulter and Bernard Lafferty missed the game through injury.  

“Ronan McDermott injured the cruciate before half-time but played on. Ritchie Ryan went on for the last 25 minutes and broke a bone in leg… it was just a really difficult day. 

“Things went against us last year and we left it behind us. We were beaten on the day by a very good Wicklow team but it was a hard one to take.

“We are hoping with the experience the younger lads got playing in Croke Park in 2023, that will stand to them and that they will step up this time around and get over the line.” 

Donegal go into the final on the back of an unbeaten run which includes a 4-27 to 0-15 win over their weekend opponents in O’Donnell Park in group stages. 

“That home game against Mayo was massive because we felt it was going to put the pressure on them, given they still had to play Roscommon in their last game. 

“Because we did feel the two final places were between us, Roscommon and Mayo.” 

Donegal’s other group game wins were over Armagh away, Monaghan, in O’Donnell Park, and Roscommon and Louth away.  

The Donegal defeat was the only loss suffered by Mayo as they ran out big winners over Monaghan, Armagh and Louth and a draw with Roscommon in the last of the group games helped secure their progression.   

In the end, Mayo actually pipped Roscommon, who they ended level on points with, on score average for a place in the final.

McCann remains wary of Mayo and feels they are a very good side and that earlier defeat provides them with a great opportunity to settle a score. 

“I honestly believe there is another level in this Mayo team. They have played in the Christy Ring Cup and the Toreen boys are well capable of stepping it up to another level.

“They may not have shown it yet but I would be very wary if Mayo turn up like they can, they will be very hard to beat.

“The game in Letterkenny was level for a long time. We had a 15-minute spell where we put five or six points in a row on the scoreboard and it was enough to get on top of them.

“That day, we kept their forwards very quiet. They only scored one or two points from play and to do that again is going to be very hard. 

“We might be the form team. But I would still call it a 50/50 game. They have a very dangerous forward line. They have quality players right through the team. 

“Players of the calibre of  Shane Boland, Liam Lavin, Adrian and Cormac Phillips, Sean Regan and Eoin Delaney are all household names at this level.” 

On the plus side, the Donegal boss has reported no major injury concerns ahead of Sunday’s showdown. 

And McCann also revealed that former captain and ace forward Ronan McDermott is back in the frame for the final following his 2023 cruciate woe. 

“We have serious numbers now in the running for places. When a starting player picks up an injury and another comes in and does well, it underlines the strength you have on the bench.

“If we take Sean Ward for example Declan Coulter - the week before the Roscommon game - picked up an injury and Sean replaced him and scored 1-4.

“Ronan McDermott comes in against Louth in the last game and hits 1-2. So picking the team is definitely a headache. 

“And it is going to be hard to keep everybody happy and even naming the 26 is going to be really tough. 

“There are a lot of boys on par with each other and they all have been training well. A few boys will not be happy and I can understand that. Honestly, it is a position I have never been in before.

“The pressure is on the man starting and that is especially so for the forward because we have three or four lads ready to come on. 

“Like I said, it’s something we did not have last year and it cost us and hopefully the strength will get us over the line this year.”