MacIntyre aiming for a first win over Derry

DONEGAL aim for a fourth ever win in the Christy Ring Cup when they travel to neighbours Derry on Saturday.

For Brian MacIntyre, he still awaits a first ever win over Derry since he broke onto the senior team.

They came close in the Conor McGurk Cup final earlier this year only to be sunk by a stoppage time goal.

Mickey McCann’s side have since gained promotion back to Division Two, had an opening Christy Ring Cup win over Wicklow before losing to Kerry last weekend.

Donegal had to play most of the game with 14 men but MacIntyre was pleased with how they responded. Despite beating the Kingdom last season, they were underdogs in Tralee.

Seán McVeigh and the growth of Donegal hurling

“I thought we done very well,” MacIntyre said. “Even though we got a few sucker punches, we kept coming back.

“It’s a good sign of a team when you’re a man down and keep battling. It still is frustrating because the game was probably there for us.”

Wicklow’s win over Derry has opened up the group. Like many others, MacIntyre sees Kerry as the team fancied to book a spot in the final.

Elsewhere, the rest of the field are battling to take points off each other and it leaves Saturday’s game in Find Insurance Celtic Park a crunch encounter.

MacIntyre can also take a more general look at where hurling is going in Donegal.

His St Eunan’s clubmate Seán McVeigh, who was recently appointed Head of Hurling in the county, spoke of playing regularly in Division Two and the Christy Ring Cup as a barometer of progress.

Within the camp, there is an ambition to climb as far up the ladder as possible. Mickey McCann is steering the ship.

It is a young squad. At 27 years-old, MacIntyre is now labeled by his peers as one of the oldest. Above that, Declan Coulter and Danny Cullen tick the experienced players’ box.

“I don’t want to disclose their age, it might be disrespectful,” MacIntyre said with a laugh.

Conor Gartland is a key player for Donegal. Photo: Evan Logan

“Liam McKinney, Stevie McBride, Conor Gartland, these lads that have been real leaders for the team over the last two or three years and they’re all under 24 years of age.

“John Kealey played against Kerry. I think he’s 19, he was absolutely brilliant and you have Dan Donnelly coming on at 18.”

Beyond Saturday and the remainder of the campaign, MacIntyre feels the county’s progress rests with keeping their foot down.

“To be honest, what’s going on at the minute, that’s what needs to be done,” he said.

“We have a great management team and we have fantastic S&C coach in Shane Sweeney, who’s really driving standards on as well.”

Young blood

Having a senior team pushing hard gives the young players something to aspire to when coming into the fold.

“You need two or three 18-year-old young lads coming in every year,” he added.

“It’s hard for them, they’re coming in at a very high level of hurling that we wouldn’t usually be at.

“They’re just being thrown in as deep end, they’re having to swim and they are all doing that.

“It’s just about trying to keep the standards high, doing everything right. We’re looking at the football team a lot and the standards they have are hard to match but that’s what you have to strive for.”