Naomh Brid and Carndonagh setting the pace in Junior A championship  

Naomh Brid are bidding to clinch a place in the last four of the Michael Murphy Sports Junior A Championship when they face Naomh Padraig, Lifford, in McDermott Park on Saturday evening.

Declan McCafferty’s outfit have been the form team in Group A and they take an unbeaten three-game run in Saturday evening’s tie against the locals who are still chasing a first win in the championship.  

READ NEXT: Date and time confirmed for Donegal's All-Ireland Masters final against Tyrone 

Those Naomh Brid victories were over Urris, Pettigo and St Mary’s, Convoy.

They have been greatly boosted by the return of Callum Gallagher and right through the season, in both league and championship, Aaron McGrory, Eoin Rush and Eoghan Gallagher have been posting big scores week in week out. 

After a number of encouraging performances in the league, which included a five-point home win over Na Rossa and an away draw against Naomh Colmcille, Naomh Padraig have not kicked on in the championship.

They have lost their two games to date against  Pettigo and St Mary’s, Convoy. Both clashes were away ties and the most disappointing aspect of those defeats was that Lifford scored five points against Pettigo and just two against Convoy. 

Black and Amber supporters will be hoping they have their shooting boots on this weekend on their return to Pairc MacDiarmada for their first home championship outing. 

Naomh Brid are the form team and, with the chance to clinch an automatic semi-final place, it is hard to see anything other than a win for the men from the south of the county. 

The big game of the weekend in Group A is the clash of St Mary’s, Convoy and Robert Emmets, who have raised a few eyebrows with two wins from their two outings in the championship so far. 

The men from Emmet Park go into the game level on points with St Mary’s and with a game less played. 

Robert Emmets, who are managed this season by former Donegal and Aodh Ruadh player, John Duffy, have collected full points in their wins over Pettigo and Urris.

St Mary’s are once again bossed by Laurence McMullan, who also acts as player-manager, and they went into the championship on the back of a dismal Division Two League campaign in which they did not register a single win and were relegated.

But they have bounced back with victories over Naomh Padraig, Lifford at home and away to Urris before losing last time out to pace-setters Naomh Brid. 

Both St Mary’s and Robert Emmets are assured of quarter-final places ahead of Saturday evening’s showdown with the second-placed finisher in Group A facing the team that ends third in Group B.  

The third-placed finisher in Group A will conceivably have the tougher draw in that they meet the second-placed team in Group B. 

This and the local derby aspect adds spice to the tie. Home advantage and the fact they played at a higher level in the league may stand to St Mary’s and may prove the difference at the final whistle.  

But do not rule out a share of the spoils. 

Urris and Pettigo will bring down the curtain in the final game in Group A this Saturday evening.

The game is a home tie for Urris and they will be hoping to claim their first win in what has been a disappointing championship after a promising league campaign.

For Pettigo, who have one win under their belts and a number of good performances, will be anxious to sign off 2025 on a winning note.   

Carndonagh, the championship favourites, are the runaway leaders in Group B with three straight wins and are already looking forward to a semi-final.    

They have no game this weekend.  The two games in Group B are crunch encounters with Moville hosting Letterkenny Gaels and Naomh Colmcille home to Naomh Ultan.

Carndonagh are out on their own in the section on six points with Naomh Ultan, Letterkenny Gaels and Moville all on two points and Naomh Colmcille propping up the table without a win.

With three teams chasing the quarter final places, Naomh Ultan go into the weekend in second place on score difference with Letterkenny Gaels, in third place also on score difference over Moville, in fourth place.  

Naomh Ultan and Letterkenny have a game in hand on Moville who are in the last chance saloon when it comes to the last eight qualification on Saturday evening.. 

The big game this weekend in Group B is the clash of Moville and Letterkenny Gaels, in Pairc Na Carraige. 

This is a must-win game for the locals who have won just two games this season, one in the league and one in the championship. 

But worryingly for Letterkenny Gaels, the men in Sky Blue showed signs of turning a corner the weekend before last when they ran Naomh Ultan to two points  in Dunkineely.

If Moville and company rediscover that kind of form again, it could be a testing evening for Aidy Glackin, Conor Cunningham and the Gaels. 

Naomh Ultan will be fancied to claim the precious points against Naomh Colmcille in Gaelic Park, Newtowncunnham. 

But they better be aware that Letterkenny Gaels were lucky to escape with two points to spare against a much-improved and young Newtoncunningham side.