Mac's View: Good county final in prospect between Gaoth Dobhair and Naomh Conaill

Like a lot of people I watched the two Donegal semi-finals on TV at the weekend and it is a great service. The first game on Saturday was close for a while. St Michael’s started off really well and led by five at a stage.

But then all of a sudden Gaoth Dobhair came to terms with them and the game changed. Michael Langan seemed to pick up an injury which didn’t help St Michael’s but it seemed to be one-way traffic once Gaoth Dobhair got on top.

They look to be a strong force this Gaoth Dobhair side and while St Michael’s gave a fair account of themselves it was the Magheragallon men that came through and they played some nice football in the process. Overall it was an enjoyable game to watch and Gaoth Dobhair won’t be easy beat

The following day also at O’Donnell Park there was a very good contest between Four Masters and Naomh Conaill. Four Masters threatened to win the game but in the end didn’t know how to win it. When they got to extra-time they kicked three points and it should have been six but then left the back door open. And when you do that Naomh Conaill do what they always do, took full advantage getting the goal to get them back in the contest. That’s why they have been at the top of the class for many years now.

But it was another very enjoyable contest and it was so close throughout. There will surely be another day for this young Four Masters side and you have to be impressed by them.

They have two brothers who are excellent, the Carrs and I’m told there will be three of them in the panel next year. I had their father, Shane, in the Donegal squad and they are following in his footsteps.

Another who had a  very good game for them was Alex McCalmont. I think he kicked four points and I would know his dad well. They are the team for the future and with a strong management team in Barry Dunnion, Barry Monaghan and Michael Doherty it will be interesting to see them develop.

There is a lot of good young talent in the county at the moment with a good sprinkling from the two teams who will contest the county final also. Young Max Campbell and Shea Malone look like big additions to Naomh Conaill.

I’m really looking forward to the county final. The two teams are well matched and will be hard to separate.

I’ve heard that the Reserve final will also be between Gaoth Dobhair and Naomh Conaill and that speaks volumes for the amount of work being done in both clubs. They are two big parishes but the work still has to be put in.

I also watched the play-off game between Aodh Ruadh and St Naul’s at the weekend and it was an even enough game in the first half. Aodh Ruadh pulled away in the second half and played some good football. They looked more like the side I had been watching over the past few years and I was surprised that they were involved in the relegation battle.

This weekend we have the Intermediate final and Naomh Columba have carried the favourites’ tag throughout the campaign and should be good enough to win it out this time. But they face a Malin side who are never easy to beat. Naomh Columba should have won an Intermediate title in recent years and that experience might be enough for them.

In the Junior Championship my neighbours Naomh Brid lost out to Letterkenny Gaels, but only after extra-time. It was a good run for them given that they have a small parish. Carndonagh came through the other side against Convoy and it sets up another good county final.

The year is quickly coming to a close and it will be a long time now until the Dr McKenna Cup in January. I saw that the GPA were giving out about the return of the competition and their top man, Tom Parsons, has a Bundoran connection. His uncle Peter Barry played for St Josephs and I also had him as a Donegal minor.

READ NEXT: Donegal CCC to investigate subs blunder in Termon v St Eunans game

The All-Star nominations came out last week and we have done well to get 10 nominations as well as Michael Murphy and Finnbarr Roarty in the running for Player and Young Player of the Year awards.

We also have the Special Congress this weekend and it looks as if the rule changes will be given the green light. I think people, by and large, are happy with them. They have speeded up the game and it is much more attractive, even at club level.

 I’m looking forward to hearing the fixtures for the NFL and also for the Ulster Senior Championship in the coming weeks. Hopefully we will have four home games in the National League and a few also in the McKenna Cup to get rid of the winter blues.

Brian McEniff was in conversation with Peter Campbell