Derrygonnelly joint-Manager Mick Glynn knows that they face a tough assignment on Sunday at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh, but he also is confident that if the Harps perform then they have every chance of lifting the Seamus McFerran Cup.

Kilcoo are the reigning Ulster Club champions and Glynn acknowledges that they are the favourites to go even further this year, but he says that Derrygonnelly will focus on themselves and look to get their best possible performance on the day.

“Kilcoo are not only the favourites to win Ulster, but the favourites to win the Al Ireland. They were in the last All Ireland final, they took it to extra time against Corofin, and they held Corofin scoreless in Croke Park for 25 minutes of the first half that day, so they are a very accomplished team and, if anything, they are probably better since then.

“But we can’t focus too much on Kilcoo – all we can look at is ourselves and try and do what we do to the best of our ability, and if we achieve that then we think we would be a match for them,” he said.

Indeed, the Harps more than held their own the last time the sides met, Kilcoo shading a tight encounter by two points, with the Fermanagh champions ruing some wayward shooting on the day. Glynn though states that game shows that they are a match for the Mournemen.

“We played Kilcoo before at the same venue and we put it up to them that day, and we are hopeful of matching them again.

“We know that we are on a par with them and we can curtail them while playing our own game, but you then on the day need to get the break of the ball and the big decisions to go in your favour, and if they do then we would be greatly confident.

“That last day we had a poor day in front of the posts, both from play and frees, and their goalkeeper made an outstanding save from Shane McGullion.

“We would be confident that we will match them again and, hopefully, this time we will come out on the right side of the result,” said Glynn.

To come out on top though, Derrygonnelly will have to keep a tight rein on a tricky Kilcoo forward line while they will also have to make the most of the chances that they create at the other end of the pitch.

“We have to match their intensity and stop them building at speed. They play the game at a very high tempo, and we have to get up to that tempo as well.

“I have a good belief in our defence that we will make it hard for them to score, and hopefully at the other end our forwards will get enough. They scored well against Clann Eireann and if they get good ball in, hopefully they can get scores for us.”

The one thing that Glynn doesn’t want is for his side to have any regrets when the game is finished. “This might be a once in a lifetime opportunity, but what we don’t want to have afterwards is regrets, that ‘we didn’t do this or that’.

“If on the day we give it everything we have and play as well as we can and it is still not enough, then so be it, but we believe that if we do that, it will be enough. We don’t want though to have regrets that there was more in the tank and we didn’t give it,” he added.