By Frank Craig

All-Ireland SFC Group Three Round One

Donegal v Dublin

Saturday, Kingspan Breffni, 5pm

AMY BOYLE-CARR says a revamped group stage All-Ireland SFC doesn’t disguise the fact that Donegal’s entire season rests on how their fare first day out against Dublin.

The Dubs are aiming for a fourth title in a row. It’s the most difficult start imaginable for Maxi Curran’s girls. The provincial titles have been binned because of the Covid-19 pandemic and a streamlined All-Ireland in now in place.

The competition is split into four groups of three with the top side in each section advancing to the semi-finals. So it’s very much a group setting in name only.

Because as Boyle-Carr explains, if Donegal don’t upset Dublin in Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday, October 31, their remaining outing against Waterford will be a dead rubber.

“Exactly,” the Naomh Conaill club woman agreed. “It’s a huge task against Dublin but there is huge incentive and huge reward up for grabs as well.

“It’s pretty much knock out football. We understand what’s on the line in Cavan. We need to win all our games. It’s a group, but it’s a group of three. We simply can’t afford any slip ups. Dublin, they are the champions. We know what they’re about.

“We haven’t had any competitive games in the lead in. We have to be at it right away. But if we could get over that the line the possibilities would be huge.

“The momentum you’d take would be massive. That’s the aim and that’s what we’re doing our best to prepare for.”

Boyle-Carr at just 19, will no doubt be one of the focal points of the Donegal ladies side for at least the next decade. But she’s acutely aware that an influential crop of the team’s real big hitters are nearing the end of the line.

The talent within their group is unquestionable. It has been for quite a while now. But the window to make that ultimate breakthrough, for so many in the Tir Chonaill set-up, continues to narrow.

“I look around and I see so much ability and so much effort going in. To land an All-Ireland title is the goal. It would be massive. In 2018 we had set our stall out. We had such a strong team.

“It just came unstuck in the semi-final (against Cork). I feel the squad we have this year is stronger. We’ve had a lot of the girls come back in. We are in a position to be competitive and give it a real rattle.”