Declan Bonner admits Ulster SFC is not fair to participants

Donegal manager Declan Bonner. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Not since Cavan in 1948 has an Ulster team won a knockout Sam Maguire Cup from the preliminary round of the province, and Donegal manager Declan Bonner knows the magnitude of the task in front of his team.

Nine years ago, the county went all the way from that starting point, and while they did not require the safety net of the qualifier system, it was there. Now Bonner and his men must walk the tightrope with no protection.