‘The league is important to Kilcar as a club’ - Conor Cunningham

Kilcar hope to be able to have injured stars Stephen McBrearty, Conor Doherty and Matthew McClean fit and able to play some part in what could be a tasty All-County Football League Division 1 final with Naomh Conaill.

And given the circumstances of the controversial 2020 Donegal SFC final, this decider could have some real bite.
It had been suggested in some quarters that Kilcar might not be overly keen on a League final with Naomh Conaill but that was certainly not apparent in Glenfin as they made their intentions very clear in their last outing of the regular campaign.

They were sorely pressed by a gritty Glenfin side, although one who hit 11 wides and missed two very good goal chances in Pairc Taobhoige. Kilcar knew a point would do, seeing Aodh Ruadh picked up the two points as Termon didn't travel to Ballyshannon. Conor Cunnigham’s side came through on a 0-17 to 1-8 scoreline.

Manager Cunningham is looking forward to this standalone match which is ideal preparation for the championship as both sides could be keen to lay down a marker.

“Yes, they are three big players for us - Stephen, Conor and Matthew - and we are hoping they will be able to play some part in what will be a big game- against Naomh Conaill. “I would love to see the three of them on the pitch against Glenties at some stage.”

Kilcar are a side who have a rich history in the competition, having won it most recently in 2019. “The league is important to Kilcar as a club, who have won it 14 times and it is something that is ingrained in the club,” Cunningham added. “Now whether we had the work done at the start of the year to make it one of our goals, I suppose it wasn’t as we were so far behind.

“Now opportunities came to us over the past month or so as the league settled down and we took those chances”.
But there will be very little motivation needed for the game against Naomh Conaill, who are looking to retain the crown they won last year. When Kicar won at Davy Brennan Memorial Park in May on a scoreline of 1-9 to 0-5, it remains Martin Regan’s team’s only loss in the top flight in three years - Cloughaneely left Glenties with the points in July 2019.

“This is something we did not expect five or six weeks ago but once we saw there was a chance to get to the final, we took it and it does not matter whether it is Glenties or anybody else,” Cunningham added. “It’s a final anyway and you can only get to a maximum of three, if you include the Gaeltacht as well and it is all there. Both teams might be down a few players, but we will enjoy it”.

John McNulty was in charge of Kilcar for the deferred 2020 Donegal SFC. The Glenties-based club overcame Kilcar 4-2 on penalties last August, in the final that had been deferred from the year before because of the pandemic. The match finished 0-13 to Naomh Conaill and 2-7 to Kilcar after extra-time.

Kilcar lodged an objection in relation to the result, having requested the referee’s report and team sheets with claims that Naomh Conaill used more than the permitted number of substitutes allowed in extra-time. In the end, Naomh Conaill were fined €5,000 for using too many substitutes - but they keep their name on the roll of honour.

“I don’t look at the past,” Cunningham said. “It is all about focusing on what we do. “The final helps to fill that five week gap to the championship and it is good for the integrity of the league to have a final.”