McGuinness slams choice of venue

Jim McGuinness believes King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park wasn’t a fair venue for Donegal’s All-Ireland SFC Round 3 clash with Mayo.

While Donegal can now look forward to a home preliminary quarter-final next weekend following their last-gasp 0-19 to 1-15 victory in Roscommon, McGuinness was less than impressed with the distance his team and supporters had to travel compared to their opponents.

“We think it was very unfair to bring us here,” the Donegal manager complained.

“It was the equivalent of bringing Mayo to Omagh and we also put in an email to the CCCC to say we couldn't get a hotel in the area so we had to stay in Athlone. We had to go beyond the venue to come to play in the venue.

“So it was the equivalent of Mayo going to play us in Omagh and staying in Derry and I don't believe that would happen. I think that would only happen because it's us. I think it would only happen because it's us. Disappointed in that.

“We made a case and we made the case early. It was on deaf ears. But, again, that's for another day but I don't like the fact that our supporters are always being taken advantage of.”

He added: “We had seven games up to this point. Nobody's played more games than us. Nobody. And yet and all, we had the longest trek and all those people have to find a way to do all that. Breffni [Park] was an option. They're going to say it wasn't.

“I know that Clones was offered and that was rescinded. All you're looking for is fairness and the middle is fair.”