Captain Sean Ryan hoping to get county final day up and running with a Senior B win

Sean Ryan is hoping to lead St Eunan’s to a Senior B championship title in Sunday’s decider when the black and amber go head to head with arch-rivals Gaoth Dobhair in the curtain-raiser to the senior final in MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey (1.45) 

Ryan, the team captain and a championship winner at U16 and minor level, feels his side are in good shape going into Sunday’s showdown after a rocky passage in the group stages of the championship.  

“We had a tough start to the championship,” admitted the young St Eunan’s skipper and the team's centre-back.  

“We beat Kilcar in the first game and lost to Naomh Conaill and lost to Gaoth Dobhair. But the good thing about those defeats was that we learned a lot from those matches. 

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“And we’ve got stronger as the championship has progressed. We have grown in confidence with each match we have played.” 

St Eunan’s have shown a clean pair of heels to Glenfin, Glenswilly, and Naomh Conaill on their way to Sunday’s final. 

The semi-final win over Naomh Conaill was a big win for Ryan and his team as the men from Davy Brennan Park went into the game as highly fancied and championship favourites.  

“We got off to a good start against Naomh Conaill and were in a good position at half-time. But they came back strong at us in the second half and thankfully we had that 1-5 to 0-0 lead at half-time. 

“Naomh Conaill came back to within three points of us. It took us 20 minutes to get a score on the board in the second half and we kicked another couple points to move clear again. 

“We are in the final now against Gaoth Dobhair.  

“They beat us by a point in the park in the group game and I’m expecting it to be another close game again on Sunday. 

“Gaoth Dobhair are favourites after that win. We will take that.”  

St Eunan’s squad: Chris O’Donnell; Peter Devine, Padraig Hughes, Josh Hay, Conor Harley, Sean Ryan, Josh Barrett, Noel O’Donnell, Jordan O’Dowd, Brian Drum, Oisin Scanlon, Cormac Finn, Sam Harvey, David Boyle, Jake Whelan, Cian McMonagle, Philip Doherty, Padraig McGettigan, Eddie Blake, Lorcan O’Donnell, Brandon Jordan, Darragh Morrison, Dylan Doogan, Eoghan Doherty, Sean Breen.