By Ryan Ferry

DONEGAL manager Jim McGuinness says a potentially busy schedule ahead will not be a consideration as his team gear up for a big clash with Mayo on Sunday.

A group opener defeat against Tyrone was costly and it means that they are not in pole position to top the group.

A 19-point victory over Cavan did help to raise the confidence again and Donegal start Sunday’s match as clear favourites.

If McGuinness’s men win and don’t top the group, they will have one week to gear up for the preliminary quarter-finals.

The last eight ties are on the weekend after that so Donegal could potentially have three big games in successive weeks.

Galway (2024) and Monaghan (2023) were able to come through similar paths to reach the semi-finals but it is a potentially arduous route.

It won’t be easy to keep players fresh but it’s dangerous to look too far down the line.

“No, we won’t be thinking about that. We’ll just focus on the game, get ready for the game, get ready to prepare for a really good side that’s going to ask a lot of questions and we have to bring that level (from the Cavan game).

“We’ve got to bring that to the game if we have any chance of winning.”

McGuinness rejected the theory that Donegal were vulnerable heading into the group stages after winning Ulster.

They had to exert a lot of energy in beating Armagh and lost players to injury in the process while at the same time, Tyrone were able to nurse some of their men back to full health.

Some pundits have suggested that it’s not easy to get back up to same championship level after a dramatic provincial final victory like Donegal enjoyed but McGuinness didn’t offer that as an excuse.

“You shouldn’t be coming down. Like you know, it wasn’t like we were happy last year to say we were Ulster champions. We went into Ballybofey. We knew we were Ulster champions. We put in a brilliant performance against Tyrone and we were happy to do that last year.

“We had the exact same situation. It was Armagh in the final. We won it. We went back-to-back and we had Tyrone in Ballybofey and we didn’t perform.

“So, no, there’s no excuses there. We just were not at it and we have had lots of conversations why we weren’t in between, which I’m not going to tell you about.

“We just move on from it and they got the reaction (against Cavan) and that’s all you want as a manager.

“You are not going to and you are not entitled to win every game, but at the same time, there’s levels and there’s standards that we need to hit and they weren’t hit.”

One player to benefit from the injuries within the Donegal camp is Caolan McColgan.

The Naomh Pádraig, Uisce Chaoin ace was not included in the matchday 26 for the Ulster final, and actually played for his club in a league game on the night before.

However, he was back in the squad for the Tyrone match and then started against Cavan where he impressed and scored a late goal.

McGuinness said: “He had to bide his time and he didn’t make a 26, and probably that annoyed him, and that frustrated him, and he got his head down and he started working really, really hard. And other players have been in that boat as well and that’s what you want. He’s a young lad, and he’s still developing and there’s things there that we’re still working with him on but he does have a lot of serious pace and a lot of raw talent, and really gets you up the field.

“So we were just trying to focus on them things with him, but the reality is when he was showing in training that he was bringing an edge, and he was bringing an intensity.

“Even in the last phase of play, from a Cavan point of view there was a goal chance. (He) smothered it really well.

“Stephen McMenamin came in helped him give a double up so that’s what you want.

“People will come in, and people will come out and every county in the championship that’s left are managing and dealing with injuries and it’s so important that you have as many players around the edges as possible that can come in and do a good job.”

SidebarLAST MEETING

2025 NFL Mayo 1-18 Donegal 1-16

Mayo: C Reape; J Coyne, D McHugh, E Hession; S Callinan, D McBrien, F Kelly; S Coen (0-1), M Ruane (0-03, 1tp); J Carney (1-3), D McHale, J Flynn (0-1); A O’Shea, F Irwin (0-3), R O’Donoghue (0-6, 1tp, 1tpf, 1f)
Subs:D Neary for McHale; P Towey (0-1) for O’Shea; E McLaughlin for Kelly; F Boland for Irwin; D O’Connor for Flynn

Donegal: G Mulreany (0-1, ’45); F Roarty (0-1), S McMenamin, B McCole; R McHugh, C McMonagle, C McColgan; H McFadden, C Moore; D Ó Baoill (0-2, tp), C Thompson (0-2), S O’Donnell (0-2); N O’Donnell (0-1), C O’Donnell (0-2), L McGlynn (0-1)
Subs: M Langan (0-2) for McGlynn; A Doherty (0-2) for McGonagle, M Curran for McColgan, E McHugh (1-0) for N O’Donnell; C Ward for McCole

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
2025 NFL Mayo 1-18 Donegal 1-16
2023 NFL Donegal 0-9 Mayo 1-17
2022 NFL Mayo 0-11 Donegal 0-11
2020 NFL Donegal 0-19 Mayo 2-13
2018 NFL Donegal 0-13 Mayo 0-13

SEASON SO FAR

DONEGAL

NFL
Donegal 0-20 Dublin 0-16
Kerry 1-18 Donegal 0-23
Donegal 0-21 Armagh 1-10
Galway 0-21 Donegal 0-14
Donegal 1-22 Derry 1-19
Donegal 0-19 Tyrone 0-25
Mayo 1-18 Donegal 1-16

ULSTER SFC
Donegal 1-25 Derry 1-15
Donegal 0-23 Monaghan 0-21
Donegal 1-19 Down 0-16
Donegal 2-23 Armagh 0-28AET

ALL-IRELAND SFC
Donegal 0-20 Tyrone 2-17
Cavan 1-13 Donegal 3-26

MAYO

NFL
Dublin 1-17 Mayo 1-15
Mayo 0-16 Galway 0-26
Mayo 0-12 Tyrone 0-10
Armagh 1-17 Mayo 1-17
Mayo 0-21 Kerry 1-16
Derry 1-17 Mayo 2-19
Mayo 1-18 Donegal 1-16
Kerry 1-18 Mayo 1-12

CONNACHT SFC
Mayo 2-20 Sligo 2-17
Mayo 0-20 Leitrim 0-13
Galway 1-17 Mayo 1-15

ALL-IRELAND SFC
Mayo 1-14 Cavan 1-17
Tyrone 1-13 Mayo 2-17

TOP SCORERS

Donegal
Michael Murphy 0-34 (8f, 4tpf, 4 45, 1tp)
Patrick McBrearty 1-30 (9f, 2tpf, 1tp)
Dáire Ó Baoill 1-29 (9tp)

Mayo
Ryan O’Donoghue 2-70 (38f, 5tpf, 2tp, 1-0 pen, 1 tp sideline)
Mattie Ruane 0-20 (1tp)
Darren McHale 2-11