Former Derry defender Chrissy McKaigue believes his former team mates can still pick up enough points in their remaining three games to retain status in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League.

After last Saturday night’s defeat to Dublin at Croke Park, the holders sit bottom of the table and face Ulster champions Donegal in a crunch derby clash this Sunday in Ballyshannon (1.45pm) before hosting Mayo in Round 6 and finishing with a visit to All-Ireland champions Armagh.

McKaigue, who retired from inter-county duty in November after 15 seasons, knows it’s an uphill task for Paddy Tally’s men and says it starts with claiming both points in Ballyshannon this weekend.

"I would still back those players to get points in the next three games but they need to start by getting two points in the next game against Donegal," the Slaughtneil clubman is quoted saying by BBC Sport NI. 

"I still believe the Donegal game is a game that they can see as winnable."

On the game against Dublin itself, he added: "This is probably the first performance in the four games where they haven't been really competitive.

"They should have won the Kerry game. They should have really won the Galway game at the end of it when you look back on it. The Tyrone game [at the start] maybe just came a wee bit too soon. They just can't throw the toys out of the pram with this one performance."

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