By Michael McMullan

DONEGAL will be hoping to bounce back when they welcome Wicklow to O’Donnell Park for Saturday’s Christy Ring Cup encounter.

Mickey McCann’s men were comfortably beaten by Derry in the league but forced them to dig deep before coming up short last weekend in Celtic Park.

After Christy McNaughton hit the net, it was Donegal netminder Luke White who replied with a goal but McNaughton’s 1-9 tally steered the Oakleafers to victory.

“It is fine margins and we came today with the right attitude but we needed to be a wee bit more clinical in front of the posts,” McCann said of his side’s performance. “Even the last minute we had a chance of a goal but it just slipped away.”

It was their lack of appetite that disappointed on their last day in O’Donnell Park when Derry destroyed them.

They’ll need to find the aggression from the off when Wicklow come to town on Saturday. The Garden County were winners over Tyrone and will have aspirations of a trip to Croke Park themselves.

That’s why this is significant game for Donegal. A win and they are back in the mix for a final spot. A defeat and they’ll be looking over their shoulder.

White is an impressive goalkeeper with Declan Coulter, Sean McVeigh, Danny Cullen and Steven McBride important player in their side.

In Gerard Gilmore they’ve a prolific scorer but it’s about getting more from elsewhere. Skipper Conor Gartland, Josh McGee Cronolly and Liam McKinney will need to deliver to get their season back on track.

The tools are there and they’ve plenty to offer but it comes down to flicking the switch to hit the ground running. Saturday is the day