Rory Gallagher is adamant his Donegal team is a 'match for anybody in the country' ahead of this Saturday's All-Ireland SFC qualifier against Cork in Croke Park.

The Tir Chonaill men finished second best to Tyrone in the Ulster SFC decider but their manager believes they can bounce back this weekend.

"When you've won the All-Ireland as recently as we have in 2012, we feel we're a match for anybody in the country," he remarked to The Irish News.

"If Tyrone were seen as the benchmark, there was very little between the two teams. We're looking forward and at the minute the full focus is on Cork."

The Fermanagh native concedes that some of his players are entering the twilight of their inter-county football careers but adds that they will be determined to go out on a high.

"It's something that's never spoken, but we're realistic enough and we know where lads are at in their lives and their careers.

"That's fairly clear with the longevity and the age profile of some of our lads. There's also the huge challenge of trying to get the most out of the last period of your career."

He concluded: "There's no doubt about it, we have a great affinity with Croke Park over the last five or six years.

"Both the experienced and the young members of our squad want to be back there and enjoy it. For some of them, it might be the last game or few games they're ever going to have in it it."

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