St Eunan’s No 1 and Gaoth Dobhair still a top four team - Martin Doherty

Apart from Glenswilly’s draw with Naomh Conaill in the first of their group games there has been no real fireworks in this season's Donegal SFC.

The rest of the games were all run of the mill and apart from Aodh Ruadh breaking into the top three behind St Eunan’s and Kilcar and ahead of Naomh Conaill and Gaoth Dobhair, there was no other new ground broken.

However, for former Naomh Conaill player and manager Martin Doherty, the Ernesiders are not championship contenders this season. They won their four games - Bundoran, St Nauls, Ardara and Milford - the four teams now in the relegation playoffs.

“I saw Aodh Ruadh a couple of times and watched them against Ardara ago and they weren’t that impressive,” said Doherty. “John McNulty has done a good job. They were also in contention in the league right up to the end. They have made good progress this season but I have seen enough of Gaoth Dobhair to put them ahead of them and I would also put Naomh Conaill ahead of them.

Naomh Conaill and Gaoth Dobhair met last Sunday, in the last of the group games and while it was billed as a potential game of the weekend it did not live up to its billing, with MArtin Regan’s side winning 1-14 to 1-9.

“I cannot help but feel Gaoth Dobhair went into the game happy with their position and as a consequence they were not up to the pace of the game,” Doherty said. “They didn’t have Ethan Harkin, their top scorer, Daire Ó’Baoill is only back from travelling and is getting back to match sharpness and Niall Friel and Odhrán Mac Niallais came on as subs.

“They still have one or two more to come back and I think when they have everybody back they will still have a say in the championship. As a Naomh Conaill supporter I’m happy enough with the way they are progressing after drawing the first day out with Glenswilly.

“Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí is back and playing well and is a big addition. Ciaran Thompson and Ethan O’Donnell are going well and Charles McGuinness is playing well inside.

“The only concern is that Brendan McDyer is struggling to shake off a hamstring injury. Brendan had been playing well before the injury and we are keeping our fingers crossed he will be back for the quarter-final against Glenswilly.

“There was a lot of chat before the start of the championship on whether we had a top four or not and had it been reduced to a top three. St Eunan’s finished top - albeit on score average ahead of Kilcar - who were hot on their heels. While placings can be down to the draw as we saw with a couple of teams, I still think St Eunans are number one and the team to beat.

“Naomh Conaill and Gaoth Dobhair are also in my book with Aodh Ruadh, Glenswilly, St Michaels and Killybegs making up the top eight. The eight teams through to the quarter-final are probably the top eight, whatever about the order most people would have gone for at the start of the championship.”

If there are teams that missed out on making the last eight, Doherty believes it will be Glenfin and Sean MacCumhaills will feel a little hard done. Glenfin had a very good league and were in the running until near the end.

“The draw was a little unkind to Glenfin and MacCumhaill’s. They had a really tough draw in the championship. Glenfin started away to Killybegs and they also drew Glenswilly and Gaoth Dobhair and Four Masters at home.

“Likewise MacCumhaills had a tough draw away to St Michael’s in the first round. They drew that game which was a decent enough result and while they beat Four Masters, they lost away to Gaoth Dobhair and were well beaten last Sunday by the champions St Eunan’s in MacCumhaill Park. St Eunan’s and Gaoth Dobhair are two of the top teams.

“So no more than their neighbours Glenfin, having reached the quarter-final last season they will be disappointed not to make it back again to the knockout stage this week. And they can rightly feel hard done by the draw.”

Doherty feels the other big talking point after the completion of the group games is the format of the championship.
“If you look at the final eight, seven of them were in pot one for the initial draw for the championship,” he said. “Naomh Conaill are the only team from pot two to make the quarter finals.

“That is something that needs to be addressed whether you seed the semi-finalists from the season before or go with league positions at the end of the current season. Otherwise you run the risk of all the strong teams in one pot and the weaker ones in the other and the draw loses a sense of fairness.”