No finals hang-up for Naomh Columba boss Brendan Doherty ahead of IFC decider

Brendan Doherty and Naomh Columba will be hoping it’s a case of ‘third time lucky’ when they lock horns with Malin in Sunday’s IFC decider in Letterkenny. 

Dungloe took the Glencolmcille outfit’s scalp in 2022’s decider and last season, with Doherty at the helm, Termon convincingly accounted for the south west side. 

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Boss Doherty admits that the manner of that 0-14 0-8 defeat hurt but with the benefit of hindsight, and seeing what Termon have since gone on to achieve at senior level, the Glen manager says it’s helped put some perspective on last term’s shortcomings. 

Still, it’s a long way back to another IFC decider, but Doherty readily admits that was the instant target when his squad first got back together at Pair na nGael in early January. 

“The main objective at the start of the year, the realistic one we felt, was to get back to another final,” he said.  

“It’s familiar territory and we’re very aware that we’re up against a supremely talented Malin side that, just like us, are intent on giving it absolutely everything at the weekend”. 

Watching on at the likes of Dungloe last year and, more recently, Termon in the last number of weeks, Doherty says their progress is an endorsement of just how competitive the IFC has now become. 

And Termon’s recent efforts, particularly in dumping reigning champions St Eunan’s out of the reckoning and subsequently giving Naomh Conaill an almighty scare as well has, in its own way, helped wipe any lingering frustrations from the minds as they prepare to once again step up to that same plate. 

“To be honest, we’ve taken great comfort from that - Termon going on like they have. I have no problem with the result last year. Of course we were disappointed with our own performance. 

“But we’ve seen what they have done since that. Termon are probably on the outside looking in this week and thinking they could easily be in the senior final. 

“That’s how good they are and I guess it’s the barometer really, coming up from IFC and taking to senior grade like they have. They also won the Division 1 title a few months back. 

“Dungloe are the exact same - they got to a final last year so it shows you just how competitive the Intermediate championship has been in recent times”.

Naomh Columba treaded water in Division 2 of the All-County League this term as Doherty looked to replenish his squad with some teenage graduations and, at the same time, looked to get to grips with the new playing rules. 

Doherty originally tried to use Paddy Byrne as a roaming number one in the early part of the league campaign but a tweak to the rules there meant a quick rethink. Luckily, Shane O’Gara’s spell at Finn Harps coming to an end coincided with all of that. 

“Alex Cunnea is of that age, he’s now stepped up to senior level and he got a good campaign of league football under his belt and he’s progressed on again in championship. 

“On the whole, the league served its purpose. You just want to pick up enough points that you avoid being dragged into a relegation scrap. 

“From very early on, we knew we weren’t going to be in the promotion hunt so the league more or less fizzled out for us. 

“It was all about focusing in on Milford and that first championship game. Of course we looked to focus in on the new rules. 

“The rules then changed in the middle of it, which was a curve ball as we’d been focusing on a fly keeper. We’d to go back to the drawing board pretty quickly after that. 

“But we got a lot out of it in terms of ticking some boxes - we gave a lot of minutes to lads that are teenagers and looking to stake a claim”. 

Malin accounted for Naomh Muire in the last four, a side that had high hopes after winning promotion to Division 1. So this one appears delicately poised prior to the weekend. 

Malin, relegated from the SFC back in 2019, will want to get back amongst the elite in Donegal club football. 

They’ll harbour their own recent disappointments also having been pipped by Downings in the 2023 final. So neither side will be short on motivation on Sunday. 

“We know what we’re up against,” Doherty explained. “And one of the hardest things in football is delivering a performance on the biggest of days. 

“I know and the players know that if we don’t hit a certain level at the weekend we’ll be nowhere near it. Malin are seasoned and they have serious ability. 

“They’ve always had serious ability and like a lot of Inishowen teams right now, they are really flourishing. I remember Malin upsetting St Eunan’s back in 2013 and making the senior semi-final. 

“So we’re under no illusions. We’ve come out the wrong end in two finals in recent times. Like I pointed out, you’re talking about two serious outfits in Dungloe and Termon. 

“What have we learned? It’s hard to know. We simply weren’t good enough at the time. You have to bide your time and when you’re good enough to get over the line you will. 

“But there were seven or eight other sides, at the start of the Intermediate championship, that would have felt the exact same thing”. 

Naomh Columba have gone the extra mile on and off the pitch en route to Sunday’s final and they’ve had to make consistent treks themselves in an attempt to have worthwhile collective training. 

“It’s difficult, i won’t lie,” said Doherty on getting his players together midweek. “Most of our lads are in Dublin and logistically, it’s a ‘give and take’ exercise. 

“Sometimes we meet halfway and collectively train in Cavan and other times we just get on with it. It’s a massive commitment and they deserve huge credit for all that. 

“But if you want to be getting over the line in big games like this, it’s something you simply have to do. We’re not unique in that sense. I’m sure Malin are probably in a very similar boat”.