Round 3 of Senior Football Championship has potential to open up group standings

Round 3 of the Michael Murphy Sports and Leisure SFC gets going at the weekend as sides battle to land that all-important top-12 finish.

The top four will automatically progress to the quarter-finals while it’s 12th vs 5th, 11th vs 6th, 10th vs 7th and 9th vs 8th to see who joins them.

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Ahead of the penultimate round of action, Dungloe and Gaoth Dobhair currently lead the way, joint top, with maximum points from their two games to date.

Behind that, MacCumhaills and Glenswilly are on three apiece. After that, it’s really heavy traffic with nine sides locked on two points each, bridging St Michael’s in fifth spot with Killybegs in 13th.

Bringing up the rear, it’s Aodh Ruadh and Glenfin propping up the table and yet to register a point.

Saturday, August 23

Killybegs vs Kilcar
Eamonn Byrne Memorial Park, 5pm

There was a time this one had the ability to really move the needle but, under the new rules, and given the way both sides’ results have gone to date, there is a real chance that rivalry could once again spark at the weekend.

Much like Ardara and Naomh Conaill last week, there seems to have been a levelling of the playing field in another south-west grudge match that had become lopsided, in Kilcar’s favour, in recent times.

Saturday’s hosts in Fintra opened like a freight train as they steamed through All-County League Division 1 champions Termon – also last term’s IFC winners.

They’d have gone to Rosses Park last time out, intent on taking something from the game but Dungloe’s winning margin of 3-13 to 0-11 will have left Fishermen boss Pauric Bonner with as many questions as answers two rounds in.

Kilcar, going into Round 3, are in a similar boat. They went away to the champions two weeks ago and took St Eunan’s scalp. Downings should have been fodder, at home in Towney, but Maxi Curran’s side upset the odds there and deservedly took the win.

So all that nicely tees up the weekend’s encounter at Eamonn Byrne Memorial Park. Despite being locked level on points in the standings, Mark Sweeney’s team sit ninth while Killybegs are 13th.

Top 12 is of course the aim across the four group stage outings. And the shape of all of that will be that much clearer come Sunday evening as the dust settles on the penultimate round of fixtures.

Verdict: Draw.

Downings vs Naomh Conaill
Páirc na nDúnaibh, 5pm

Downings produced the performance of the weekend last time out to go away to Kilcar and take all two points.

Having lost out to Dungloe first time out, their Towney scalp lessens the threat of falling into a relegation fight at the midpoint of the group stages.

Still, the draw for Round 3 hasn’t been kind to Maxi Curran’s charges as they welcome Naomh Conaill to Páirc na nDúnaibh on Saturday evening. That said, Martin Regan’s outfit look vulnerable right now.

They lost to Glenswilly away on the opening day while they needed a hotly-disputed injury-time free from Eoghan McGettigan to fall over the line in that exciting derby tussle against Ardara.

Speaking after, Regan said he was relieved to get the result but that there are too many creases right now in Glenties’ armour and he was intent on ironing those out midweek back on the training field.

Downings’ tails are up right now. And so they should be. There were many Na Dúnaibh heroes in Kilcar, among them Johnny McGroddy, big Cian McBride at midfield and ‘keeper Jordi Nugent, who saved a penalty from Patrick McBrearty with the sides level two minutes into added time.

Na Dúnaibh came from 10 points down after 36 minutes to get the win. They were eight down at the break, 2-9 to 1-4.

And it was Ronan Gallagher landing a monster two-point free from close to 60m late on that earned that brilliant 3-16 to 2-17 win. You also have to factor in that Downings pushed Dungloe all the way first time out.

Naomh Conaill, though, will no doubt have had a good, hard look at themselves in between and they’ll know the standards they set are much higher than they’ve produced to date. And, because of that, Downings could suffer.

Verdict: Naomh Conaill.

Ardara vs MacCumhaills
Pearse Memorial Park, 7.30pm

This one has the potential to be another competitive and close encounter. Gary Wilson’s team are currently third in the standings with an away win over St Michael’s and a draw against Glenswilly last Sunday.

Still, the Twin Towns outfit were 13 points clear at one stage, nine up at the break and seven up with ten minutes to go.

Gary McDaid’s side, though, managed to split the points with a Mark Bonner two-pointer late on and that will bug MacCumhaills.

Ardara saw off Aodh Ruadh in their SFC group stage opener and came close to taking something away from that cracking derby clash away to Naomh Conaill last weekend.

Oisín Gallen is the clear and present danger for the visitors to Pearse Memorial Park and he hit six points against Glenswilly. But another player that Ardara will have to make special provisions for is Jamie Keegan, who notched five himself from play.

Up the other end, CJ Molloy was the man doing the damage for Damian Devaney’s outfit as he landed a personal tally of 1-7 over the hour in Glenties.

Kyle McHugh, with four points, is another who knows where the posts are, both from inside and outside of the arc.

Devaney is, of course, a former MacCumhaills boss and player while Luke Gavigan’s dad, Luke Snr, is a former Ardara player. So there are also some nice subplots to this one.

Ardara felt they were wronged late on in Glenties with the free that was awarded to Naomh Conaill, allowing Eoghan McGettigan to nail the winner.

But MacCumhaills will also have motivations as they will feel they squandered the chance to be sitting on four points after their Glenswilly capitulation.

The difference here could well come down to who has the extra firepower. And in Gallen, that points towards MacCumhaills.

Verdict: MacCumhaills.

Sunday, August 24

Glenswilly vs Dungloe
Páirc Naomh Columba, 1pm

Current table-toppers Dungloe travel to Glenswilly on Sunday and just like so many of the other clashes, this one again has the potential to be really close.

Dessie Gallagher’s team just about saw off Downings, on the road in their SFC opener, but were much improved as they dished out an 11-point drubbing to Killybegs in Rosses Park last weekend.

Shaun McGee, Luke Clerkin and Oisín Bonner scored the goals as last season’s defeated county finalists sauntered to victory.

With a foot and a half now firmly planted in the knockout stages, Dungloe will want to keep the momentum up and finish as high as possible in the final group standings.

Glenswilly will very much look at last weekend’s draw away to MacCumhaills as a point earned having trailed at one stage by 13.

Michael Murphy was again absent as the other Donegal players came back into the mix with their respective clubs.

It will be interesting to see if their talisman is called upon in Round 3, as that would change the variables when gauging the outcome of this encounter.

In his considerable absence, Glenswilly had eight different scoring contributors in last Sunday’s drawn encounter with MacCumhaills.

Caoimhin Marley landed five points while Mark Bonner with 1-2 and 0-3 each from Gary McFadden and Keelan Dunleavy, were the biggest hitters there.

To be fair to Dungloe though, they look like they are here to stay having made serious inroads in 2024.

Gary McDaid will hope that home advantage at Páirc Naomh Columba will sway matters but Dungloe are moving well right now and they could just about edge it.

Verdict: Dungloe.

Gaoth Dobhair vs Aodh Ruadh
Magheragallon, 3pm

Joint top meets joint bottom as Gaoth Dobhair host Aodh Ruadh on Sunday. Gaoth Dobhair have maximum points to date with an opening home win over Glenfin followed up by an away victory against St Naul’s.

Aodh Ruadh fell to Ardara at Pearse Memorial Park a fortnight ago while St Eunan’s went to Fr Tierney Park last timeout and won comfortably.

That form guide suggests little or nothing else other than a home win for Odhrán Mac Niallais’ outfit on Sunday.

Ethan Harkin booted seven points in Mountcharles while Fionnan Coyle also landed an impressive haul of 0-5.

Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde and Dáire Ó Baoill are back in the mix too from the Donegal set-up but were only introduced in the second half in that Naul’s win.

So even though they are setting the early SFC pace, there will still be real scope for improvement in Gaoth Dobhair in Round 3. And that spells trouble for struggling Ballyshannon.

1-8 to 3-16 was the scoreline in that Eunan’s loss and that return of 11 points, under the new rules, will be a real concern for Jimmy Langan’s visitors at the weekend.

Aodh Ruadh are heavily reliant on the likes of Shane McGrath, Nathan Boyle, Diarmaid McInerney and even goalkeeper Peter Boyle for scores. So they are going to have to get others to chip in.

But getting that improvement in Magheragallon looks a tall order. And that seems like it’s going to leave them in real bother going into the fourth and final round.

Verdict: Gaoth Dobhair.

St Eunan’s vs St Naul’s
O’Donnell Park, 3pm

After being put to the sword first time out by Kilcar on their own patch, the champions were much better as they easily accounted for Aodh Ruadh in Round 2.

Barry Meehan’s team host St Naul’s on Sunday with the Mountcharles men one of three sides along with Aodh Ruadh and Glenfin yet to pick up a point.

Ciaran Moore, Shaun Patton and Niall O’Donnell all came back into the equation for the Black and Amber in Ballyshannon while Shane O’Donnell could well return to the mix at the weekend.

St Naul’s stumbled to a 0-12 to 0-9 derby defeat to Four Masters in their opener while they lost out to Gaoth Dobhair 0-11 to 0-19 last weekend. They have the poorest scoring return of any team so far so Cathal Campbell’s team needs to improve up top.

Gavin Mulreany, Brendan McCole and Peadar Mogan all played last weekend and while their concession stat of 31 stands up well against most of the other sides, it’s their lack of potency in the final third that’s really hurting them.

Veteran Stephen Griffin was absent last time out so his inclusion would certainly help in O’Donnell Park.

Regardless, it’s an ominous looking assignment for Naul’s and it’s difficult – impossible really – to see anything other than a home win.

Verdict: St Eunan’s.

Four Masters vs Glenfin
Tír Chonaill Park, 5pm

Glenfin are rooted to the bottom of the pile right now but they will believe that they can go to Donegal Town and get a result.

Frank McGlynn’s side went to Magheragallon in their opening fixture and were just squeezed out 1-13 to 1-11. However, they’d a really bad day at the office last weekend at Páirc Taobhoige as St Michael’s racked up 1-27 to the hosts’ 1-12.

That will be a really sore one this week as they look to turn attention to Masters. Shaun Ward and Luke McGlynn will be hoping to carry the threat up top but it’s in their own defensive third that they’ll be most concerned about tightening up.

Four Masters had three to spare on St Naul’s at home but were 0-20 to 3-7 losers away to Termon last time out. Barry Dunnion’s lads are very much an ‘up and coming’ outfit but there is no doubt, because of that large chunk of youth, that they can be got at.

If the visitors are physical and direct it could well pay off. Seánan Carr is back from the States and was sprung at half-time at the Burn Road. He’ll sharpen Masters’ potency up top.

Kevin Muldoon, Richard O’Rourke and Turlough Carr also have expectations on their shoulders.

It’s again one that looks delicately poised in the lead-in. But with home advantage and legs, Masters might well just get across the line.

Verdict: Four Masters.

St Michael’s vs Termon
The Bridge, 5pm

Both St Michael’s and Termon are two of nine teams locked on two points going into Round 3 but a scoring difference of +13 has Daniel McLaughlin and Martin McElhinney’s team in fifth while Termon, at -3, are back in 12th.

Michael Langan was back in the St Michael’s ranks last weekend and he posted 0-11 in a 1-27 to 1-12 away win in Glenfin. As well as sideline duties, McLaughlin is still a vital member of the Michael’s side and he grabbed seven points while Carlos O’Reilly landed 0-6.

After an opening loss to Killybegs in Fintra, Termon were back in business after a 0-20 to 3-7 home win over Four Masters. Daire McDaid registered 0-5 while Ryan McFadden also impressed with 0-4 to his name at the Burn Road.

With home advantage, and the game’s marquee player in Langan in their ranks, the hosts should prevail.

Verdict: St Michael’s.