NATHAN BUT WIN WILL DO IN DERBY Donegal recruit Mullins fed up with moral victories in top flight

NATHAN MULLINS says Donegal must start turning performances into points as they face Tyrone in a crunch clash in Omagh this evening.

Both counties go into the game with just one win from their four games and the loser will do well to avoid dropping to Division Two for 2019.

Donegal picked up a victory last time out against Kildare and while their displays against Kerry, Galway and Dublin were applauded despite losing, Mullins (above) says that won’t cut it from here on in.

“No, it’s not good enough,” said the midfielder. “People are saying to you in conversations, ‘You played well and the football was great’ and stuff but that’s not good enough for us.

“We want to win. We’ve done everything we can to win games. Obviously it wasn’t good enough losing down in Kerry and then Galway was poor at home.

“We would have loved to win in Croke Park as well and we got over the line against Kildare but even the performance wasn’t good enough either.

“It’s going to be a tough game, not that it needs any extra bite, but it will I suppose with both teams on two points.

“Obviously we beat them in the Mckenna Cup a couple of weeks ago as well so they’ll have a bit of a bee in their bonnet about that I suppose but, no, it’s a massive game for both teams and we’re looking forward to it.”

Donegal have been credited with playing a more open brand of football under new manager Declan Bonner than was the case with his predecessors Jim Mcguinness and Rory Gallagher.

Now in his second stint managing the seniors, Bonner steered Donegal minors to an Ulster title and an All-ireland final appearance in 2014 and last year was in charge of the under-21 side that won provincial honours, with several of those players promoted to the senior set-up now.

Mullins added: “It’s not any rocket science or there’s no massive changes being done on the training pitch. It’s just that he’s asking us to be a bit more ambitious and trust yourself and play your natural game.

“I know I would have known a lot of the lads going in but I’ve been very impressed with some of the younger lads. The quality of football, genuinely I’m very impressed with it.

“We definitely have the level of players there to play more expansive and attacking football and obviously defending is key as well.

“The lads coming off the bench or whoever Declan has trusted to start from that younger group as well, everyone stood up and they’re putting their hand up to get that starting 15 jersey.”