DECLAN BONNER says the League defeat to Fermanagh in February served as a ‘reminder’ for his Donegal side – but insists his men are ‘really biting’ ahead of this weekend’s opener.
Donegal head for Brewster Park on Sunday to face Rory Gallagher’s Erne outfit in a repeat of the 2018 Ulster final.
Bonner is expecting the Enniskillen venue to be a ‘cauldron’ and his squad has shed a few bodies during the spring. However, he believes he has a hungry squad for the summer.
“We know exactly what can happen and we have to be ready,” Bonner told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.
“We’re down to about 30 players compared to 34 this time last year. It was a conscious effort to do that.
“The players who are in there really want to be there. They’re really biting. They’re chomping at the bit to be in the 26, in the 21 and in the 15.”
While Donegal emphatically won the 2018 Ulster final, Fermanagh scored a 0-13 to 0-10 win over Donegal in Letterkenny earlier this year.
The Donegal manager said: “It’s been on our radar for a long time now. We needed a reminder and we got it in O’Donnell Park.
“This has been our focus for a long time now. We’ll need a big performance to get out of Brewster Park. If we get that performance, we’re capable of beating anyone.
“We actually played well in O’Donnell Park and we were four or five points up.
“On that day, we had a lack of experience on the pitch…Fermanagh closed us out, hit us on the counter and deservedly won the match.”
Listen to the full interview below …
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