Naomh Conaill manager Regan: ‘We go out to win every competition we play in’

Naomh Conaill are chasing back-to-back All-County Football League Division 1 titles on Saturday evening for the first time when they face old foes Kilcar in Fintra.

Martin Regan is back calling the shots once again on the sidelines having guided the club to a third Democrat Cup last season, adding to the successes of 2002 and 2011.

“It is great to be in the final and that there is a final,” said the Naomh Conaill boss. “We won the league last year and it was great to win it. It was our first since 2011 and third all together. But it was a straight league, the table toppers were crowned champions.

“But this year's league structure is better; it makes for a better league and a more competitive league.
“Going into the last two rounds of games, five teams were in with a chance of making the final so it was competitive right up to the last day which makes for a much better competition.

“The third and fourth from the bottom relegation playoff also makes it competitive at the bottom of the table.
“There are only three competitions you can win in a year, the Gaeltacht, the league and the championship. It is very dangerous to put all your eggs in one basket we go out to win every competition we play in. And Saturday evening’s league final is no different.”

Naomh Conaill topped the Division 1 League table on 21 points, one ahead of Kilcar and three ahead of Aodh Ruadh who finished in third place.

Over the season Naomh Conaill only dropped three points, a 0-11 to 1-8 draw with Aodh Ruadh and a 1-9 to 0-5 defeat to Kilcar, back at the end of May.

“We just didn’t play well that day against Kilcar. It was very windy and we really struggled in the first half and Kilcar built up a good lead by half-time,” Regan said. “And then they got a goal early in the second half and it was just one of those days and it was a case of moving on afterwards.”

And they did with a big win over Cloughaneely in a high scoring encounter. They followed that win up with a five points win over another of their great rivals Gaothair. That game finished up Naomh Conaill 3-16, Gaoth Dobhair 3-11.
They received a walkover against St Michael’s in the last of the group games after St Michael’s were unable to field a team for a Friday evening fixture.

Overall, the Kilcar game apart, it has been a good league for us and with so many of the players away with the county it gave us an opportunity to blood a number of young players.

“Paul McGuinness, a younger brother of Charles and Cian Doherty, made the step-up from underage this season and played in all our league games. They both have settled in well and played really well and are now challenging for places in the team which is good because you need to have a couple of players coming through every year.

“We are fortunate to have a good underage structure which is feeding into the senior panel. In the last few years players like Keelan McGill and Odhran Doherty have broken into the team.”

Ciaran Thompson, Ethan O’Donnell, Jeaic McKelvey and Charles McGuinness were all members of, Donegal championship squad. Eunan Doherty was also in the squad for the Allianz League.

“Eunan is working in Limerick and he found travelling to training and back again at weekends very demanding so he left the panel,” Regan said. “We are glad to have him and all the county players back and with the exception of Eoghan McGettigan and Ultan Doherty long term injured we have everybody else for the final.

“Eoghan and Ultan are rehabbing from cruciate surgery and are doing well and while we won’t have them for Saturday evening we hope to have them back in time for the championship.”