McBrearty hopes Gaels can go one step further and return to Intermediate

Letterkenny Gaels sharpshooter Conor McBrearty is hopeful that their resurgence in form can get them back into the Intermediate championship after reaching the Junior ‘A’ final.

The full-forward hit three goals in their extra-time win over Naomh Bríd in Killygordon on Saturday, claiming a 5-14 to 2-19 win after 80 minutes.

The three goals for McBrearty, and all five for the Gaels, came in normal time, but it wasn’t enough to win as it ended 5-8 to 2-17 after the hour.

But a late red card for Callum Gallagher of Naomh Bríd made it an easier task in the extra-time period, as Aidy Glackin’s men eventually got through the contest.

“Mental is probably the best way to describe it,” McBrearty said after the game.

“We probably could have lost the game in the first half because they came out of the blocks very strong, then we thought we had it won near the end, and they came back. 

“They just kept responding with the goals, and it was pure chaos. I don’t know how we came out of it with the win, but I think the sending off was a big turning point.

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“They had to play the extra 20 minutes with 14 men, which was a big ask, and that was probably what got us over the line in the end.

“The goals in the second half were very important, but the first half goals were huge, 3-2 to 0-11 at half-time, and without those three goals, then we could have been seven or eight down very handy.”

It’s a repeat of the 2022 Junior ‘A’ final as Letterkenny Gaels and Carndonagh will meet in the decider again.

After two defeats in the Junior final, the Glebe men got over the line against their Inishowen opponents three years ago to make it third time lucky.

A two-year stint at Intermediate level followed before relegation last year, but they are back in the final as they face the men who are looking to make it third time lucky themselves following final defeats in 2022 and 2024.

Conor McBrearty got four points in that 0-12 to 0-10 win to take a first Junior title for the Letterkenny side, but he is wary that their opponents will be a different animal this time, having already been beaten by them in the championship by six points, although the Gaels have improved since.

“Carn are brilliant and they’ve been knocking on the door for years, they probably have been eyeing this up for years. Obviously, they have Conor O’Donnell, and he’s a massive player for them, so we’ll have to try and figure out how to stop him, but they still have threats all over the pitch.

“But we have two weeks to get back to the drawing board and go again.

“We had boys away in the league, and it has started to come together for us.

“We started off slow in the championship and beat Newtown by two points, but everything seems to be going in the right direction now, so hopefully we can go that one step further.”