Veteran Anthony Thompson doing it for the young lads

"You are doing it for the young boys, to set them up, to get them to the level hopefully. We're hoping to set a benchmark for them and that's what my job is there. And (Martin) Regan keeps giving me a jersey so I must be doing something right," was the reaction of veteran Anthony Thompson after watching his side get the better of St Eunan's in the semi-final of the Michael Murphy Donegal senior championship in Ballybofey on Sunday.

Arguably the man of the match for Naomh Conaill Thompson hit two great first half points from distance.

The 37-year-old is still enjoying his role and says that it about keeping the standards high in the club and keeping them at the top table.

They always knew that Sunday's re-match of last year's final would be a struggle and they were ready for it.

"We knew it would be a tough battle. We knew St Eunan's coming, they are a top quality team. But we are too and we met fire with fire and thankfully we came out the right side of it."

He was happy with the first half performance, especially when they had a two point advantage at the break.

"There was a slight breeze which probably favoured us. We reeled off a couple of scores but they got back into it just before half-time. And then I think we got another one just before half-time and we were in a good position really."

The Naomh Conaill trademark defensive set-up was there to be seen and time after time they turned St Eunan's over.
"We work hard, that's what it is about. Every man works for himself. We defend in numbers and we attack in numbers and that's the way it played out today.

"Every team does it now, county teams do it. So again, you work as a team and as a unit and that's what we done," says Thompson.

As for his own scores, he was glad to get the chance. "I just kinda found myself in a wee yard of space and the breeze was probably helping. So I thought I would just take it on. I knew the one before half-time there wasn't much left, so I thought if we kept recycling it I would get a chance and thankfully it went over."

Naomh Conaill pip St Eunan's to reach a record seventh straight Donegal SFC final

In a game that has followed the recent trends, it was Naomh Conaill who came out on top against St Eunan's in the Donegal SFC semi-final with two points to spare

Thompson was not surprised that St Eunan's came back hard at them in the second half but he was also pleased with his side's response.

"They are a quality side and we expected them to come back. But we just ground it out and we got important scores to stop their momentum and then we just ended seeing out the game."

The O'Donnell brothers were kept scoreless and Eoin McGeehin was limited to one point, which also pleased Thompson with Jason Campbell, in particular, showing great form this season.

"We have top quality man-markers in there which doesn't make it easy for these boys. But that is their job and they carry it out to the letter of the law.
"It was excellent work from our man markers."

When put to him that getting to a seventh final in-a-row was an historic achievement, he said: "It's good going. It's just hunger. I just love going down there every night because when you see the young lads training as hard. I have to just match that and keep going until some man forces me out and when that day happens I'll be glad too."

He is now looking forward to meeting old rivals, Gaoth Dobhair in the decider.
"We had a couple of epic battles with Gaoth Dobhair a couple of years ago and we're expecting nothing else now."