Donegal manager Ray Durack is not impressed about the consequences of the Nicky Rackard Cup re-draw.

A new draw was made for the third-tier All-Ireland hurling championship after Fingal were granted entry into the competition but the second draw has pitted holders Donegal away to Roscommon in the preliminary round on Saturday week.

This is a repeat of last year's final and pits two of the competitions big guns together at the earliest possible stage:

"We're just a box-ticking exercise for the GAA," Portumna native Durack says in The Irish Independent.

"We were meant to be at home, to Roscommon, on May 3rd, but because Fingal got back into it they re-drew the draw and now we're away to Roscommon in a preliminary round. At this stage nothing surprises me."

Donegal won promotion to Division 2B at the weekend and Durack is happy with the progress his players are making:

"Donegal hurling has been long enough in the basement but these fellas have worked very hard and made steady progress in the last three years.

"Everyone has been pitching together, there are U-16 and U-17 development squads now, there's good minor set-up now, I'm involved with the county U21s as well and have eight or nine of them in the senior panel." Tweet

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