THE CHARLIE O’DONNELL CUP kicks off tonight in the Inishowen League with three games down for decision.
Quigley’s Point Swifts have recently begun life under Sean McCabe while Stephen Parkhouse’s first game as the Buncrana Hearts manager takes place tonight at Maginn Park.
QPS, without a win from their opening two League games, saw Brian Bell and his assistant Martin Rea depart in the last week.
Bell had been serving a nine-month touchline ban from the end of last season, but has severed his ties from the Muff-based side.
[adrotate group=”37″]In last week’s Inishowen Independent, Bell delivered a stinging interview in which he hit out at the commitment of players. Rea, who was overseeing matters on the line in Bell’s absence, has also departed.
Now, McCabe has stepped into the void.
The Point lost 3-1 against Carn in the League on Sunday. Nine players departed QPS over the summer months and they’ll look to arrest the slide, starting tonight when they take on Culdaff in Gleneely.
Culdaff are in off the back of a 9-1 defeat by Glengad on Sunday, but should welcome back the likes of Paul Fildara, Brendan Fildara, Conor Farren, Darragh McLaughlin and Darren McLarkey, who missed Sunday’s game because of GAA commitments.
New QPS manager McCabe is a native of Derry, who played with Institute in the past and who was on the Point books last season as a player.
A new era dawns for Buncrana Hearts under the Maginn Park lights tonight. After weeks of speculation, former Derry City, Finn Harps and Institute striker Parkhouse was confirmed as the new Hearts manager at the weekend.
They face Carrowmena in the opening round of the Charlie O’Donnell Cup tonight to begin Parkhouse’s reign.
The other game tonight sees Rasheney take on Illies in an all-First Division affair. The teams met in the League on Sunday with Dominic Doherty netting the only goal of the game just before half-time to secure Illies the win.
Tonight’s games kick off at 7.30 with extra time and penalties if necessary.
