Letterkenny Rovers will aim to get their season back on track with a win against Leinster Senior side Crumlin United on Sunday (2pm) in the FAI Intermediate Cup.
Previously unbeaten before the Christmas break, Rovers have suffered two unlikely defeats against Derry City Reserves (2-1) and Finn Harps Reserves (4-1) in the Ulster Senior League.
Dublin side Crumlin United, who sit top of the Leinster Senior League, will be a stern test for Eamonn McConigley’s side and he believes his outfit will need to be at their very best to come away with a result.
Speaking to Donegal Sport Hub, McConigley said: “We are going up against one of the best Intermediate teams in the country and I suppose the only advantage that we might have is we have to look at this game as 180 minutes, but they’ll be looking at it as 90 minutes.
“The longer that we stay in this game the better chance that we have of getting some kind of a result. If we could get a draw I would definitely take it.”
With a point to prove, Rovers will look at this game as the perfect opportunity to set a marker down and discard any doubt that they may have peaked too early.
“This game takes away from the daily travel, you are playing the Ulster Senior league teams three times every year and it does get monotonous and it is great to get away to play different opposition,” McConigley added.
“I do believe that the boys will be looking forward to this fixture and the game is an unknown and when you are playing the unknown I think you have time to prepare and focus better.
“That’s why I like playing in the Intermediate Cup because all of those things start to come together for you.”
However, the Rovers boss doesn’t believe his sides last two results should interfere with their business on Sunday afternoon.
“It will be a concern if the players let it get into their heads at all,” he said. “We got beaten in two games but we took our eye off the ball over Christmas and we weren’t as sharp as we should’ve been.
“Before Christmas, we were not giving away cheap goals and after the break, we haven’t been putting away our chances and the goals that we conceded were just terrible, so that must change.”
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