Glenswilly aiming to dethrone champions Gaoth Dobhair in U-21 A final

Gaoth Dobhair are on the trail of another U-21 A championship title this Saturday when they go head to head with Glenswilly in Letterkenny (throw-in, 2.30 pm).

The Magheragallon outfit are the reigning champions having pipped Termon after extra-time, in the 2022 final.

Glenswilly squeezed out Termon to make the decider 

Standing between the reigning champions and back-to-back crowns are Glenswilly, last season’s U-21 B champions.

The sides have met already this campaign with Gaoth Dobhair claiming the spoils with two points to spare having been forced to come from behind late on.

Both managers, Christopher McFadden, Gaoth Dobhair, and his opposite number Aidy Glackin in the Glenswilly dugout, claim they have learned a lot from that game.

“I was very impressed with Glenswilly that day and we had to come from behind in the final quarter to win by two points,” says the Gaoth Dobhair boss, an U-21 winner in the famous green and white jersey himself back in 2006. 

“The thing I noticed most about them was that they were strong, both physically and mentally, and very well organised. We had to really dig deep to get the result.”

For Glackin, the Gaoth Dobhair game is the only contest Glenswilly lost this term but what it did do is show his players they are able to compete at this level. 

“After winning the B championship last year we set out in the A championship unsure as to whether we would be fit to hold our own with the top teams.

“That question was well and truly answered that day in Magheragallon. We kicked on after that and we now find ourselves in the final.” 

Glenswilly defeated St Eunan’s, in the first round Termon in round two and after Gaoth Dobhair, they saw off Aodh Ruadh in the last eight. 

And they would clinch their place in the final with a 1-10 to 0-8 win over Termon in the semi-final.” 

Gaoth Dobhair, on the back of their group wins over Termon, St Eunan’s and Glenswilly, topped the table and went straight through to the semi-final. 

And after a four-week lay-off they returned to action last Sunday with a dominant 4-16 to 2-9 semi-final win over Naomh Conaill.

“We were a bit off the pace in the first-half, which was probably down to the break,” said McFadden. “But we upped our game in the second-half and ran out comfortable winners. 

“The other pleasing thing from the semi-final was that we had 12 different scorers.” 

Glenswilly went into their semi-final encounter on the back of a hard-fought win over arch rivals Termon. And despite being without their leading marksman Daithi Gildea, they still came through to win.

“Unfortunately, we are not going to have Daithi this weekend either,” said Glackin. “He is still out with a hamstring injury. We are also without Mark Bonner once more.  

“We know the challenge we face but the boys are in good form and relishing the challenge of taking on the champions.”