For St Naul’s, the season starts here and now

After reaching unprecedented heights in 2021, St Naul’s have endured a tough year to date thus far - but for Brian McCabe their season starts here.

Relegated from Division 2 of the All-County Football League with just a single win in 13, the Mountcharles club were soundly beaten last Saturday at O’Donnell Park on a scoreline of 1-14 to 0-7 against St Eunan’s minus the suspended Stephen Griffin, the injured Brendan McCole and last year's goalkeeeper Gavin Mulreany, who is currently on the books of Finn Harps.

It was in stark contrast to the last time the sides met, last October, as St Naul’s appeared in the quarter-finals of the Donegal SFC for the first time in their history.

However, the wheels, they hope, are turning at Gerard Gallagher Memorial Park and with Peadar Mogan having made his first appearance for the club last weekend and showing well in Letterkenny, Glenswilly are the visitors come Sunday.

“They say the League table doesn't lie but we feel we shouldn't be in Division 3,” McCabe, who is part of the club's management team, said. “That was Peadar's first game since the Championship loss to Eunan's last term. Brendan, hopefully he'll be good to go for Glenswilly. Stephen is Stephen and he'll be back. Had he been available against Eunan's he might well have had five or six points. That's the type of player he is.”

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Since their capture of the Donegal IFC in 2019, St Naul’s had been more than competitive in the senior ranks, with five wins from their eight group stage matches over the last two seasons.

This term, though, the immediate concern is traction and seeing they’re placed in what’s considered the tougher side of the first round draw, Sunday’s clash could probably be termed as a must-win. Last year, St Naul’s pipped Pauric Bonner’s side 1-10 to 0-12 on an evening of numerous talking points, with Glenswilly bemoaning the officiating of Greg McGrory, while the home players felt they did their talking on the pitch.

“We played Glenswilly last year and it was a real tussle,” McCabe added. “I know they weren't happy with the refereeing but we felt we were equally as good as them. We just hope we have more bodies back. To stay in the senior Championship you have to win your home games. And we don't want to be looking over our shoulder as we know what type of slog it is in intermediate.”