Daniel McCauley hopes Division 2 experience will help in pursuit of Junior glory

Daniel McCauley, manager of Naomh Padraig, Uisce Chaoin’s footballers who face Carndonagh in Saturday’s Donegal Junior A final, is hoping Division 2 league football will stand to his team who hope to end their championship campaign with some silverware.    

Naomh Padraig played in the second tier of the All-County League this season for the first time in the club’s 32-year history following promotion from Division 3  last term.   

“We had a very good league campaign and we finished well up the table on 11 points from four wins and three draws,” said the Naomh Padraig boss.   

“You have some of the top clubs in the county like Four Masters, Killybegs, Ardara, and Dungloe, all senior championship teams there, and we acquitted ourselves well.   

“Dungloe only beat us by five points, in Dungloe, and look where they are now, they’re looking forward to a county senior final.”  

Naomh Padraig took full points from their league games with Gaeil Fhanada, Na Rossa, Ardara, and Cloughaneely, while the points were shared when they met Buncrana, Milford, and Four Masters.   

“We learned a lot in Division 2,” McCauley said. “The game is played at a much faster pace there and it is more physical than the third tier.  

“We were competitive every day we played and also had our fair share of injuries with Caolan McColgan missing during the league while Drew McKinney missed a lot of games too.  

“Thankfully, both Caolan and Drew have returned in recent weeks, and looking ahead to Saturday we have a fully fit squad and hopefully it remains that way for the rest of the week. 

“Caolan McColgan missed the first game in the championship against Urris but he returned for the second-round game away to Naomh Ultan. He only flew in from New York the night before and really should not have played.   

“But you know young lads always want to play. He was back to himself in the remaining group games against Naomh Padraig, Lifford, and Naomh Colmcille, and his performances since have been out of this world.  

“He is a huge player for us. He is very competitive and in great physical shape and is constantly driving the players on in training.”   

Naomh Padraig won three of their group games with wins over Urris, Naomh Padraig, Lifford and Naomh Colmcille. The one game they lost was against Naomh Ultan in Dunkineely.  

Naomh Ultan won that game by 10 points, on a 4-12 to 2-8 scoreline and the manager admits it was a real wake-up call.   

“That game was a real jolt to the system,” he said. “We were missing a few lads and nothing went right for us on the day but it was still a real wake-up call.”   

Naomh Ultan won their four group games and topped Section B with Naomh Padraig as the runners-up and as a consequence of their second-placed finish, Naomh Padraig faced Naomh Brid in a quarter-final.   

They were back in the grove there and put Naomh Brid to the sword to set up a rematch semi-final meeting with Naomh Ultan.  

And they avenged that second-round defeat with a 4-7 to 0-7 win over Naomh Ultan, in Convoy, two weeks’ ago.   

“It is great to be back in the final again. We were there in 2010 and 2016 and we lost both so hopefully it will be the third time lucky.”