McIver expects more open encounter against Cork

DONEGAL’S qualifier win in Brewster Park last weekend may have been far from pretty but manager Brian McIver believes his side’s quarter-final clash with Cork on Saturday could be a very different affair.

Unimpressive as the game in Brewster Park was, there were a number of mitigating circumstances — not least the tightness of the Enniskillen pitch, especially when compared to that at Croke Park.

McIver was critical of the fact that a losing provincial finalist should be “rewarded” for their efforts up to that point by being told to travel away for their first qualifier instead of playing at a neutral venue. Being forced to travel for a derby match with a near neighbour made it all the more annoying, especially as Donegal and Fermanagh had crossed each other’s paths so often in the recent past.