O'Herlihy: ‘You never, ever get anything easy from St Michael’s’

St Eunan’s assistant manager David O’Herlihy says the Letterkenny club leave the tagging of favourites to others as the Donegal SFC winners from last year put their title on the line against St Michael’s in Glenties on Saturday

With four win from four, St Eunan’s strolled through the group stages of the competition, with a 1-14 to 0-7 win over St Naul’s, a 1-21 to 1-6 success in Bundoran, defeating Cloughaneely 1-21 to 2-7 and then winning 1-11 to 0-6 against MacCumhaill’s in Ballybofey.

They’re well tipped to get the better of St Michael’s at Davy Brennan Memorial Park, although O’Herlihy stresses in his four years with the seniors, they seldom get things easy against the Dunfanaghy-based club.

“I was in with Richie Thornton and in his first year we were on the way out of the championship at the group stage but for a late Conall Dunne score at the Bridge, St Michael’s would’ve knocked us out,” O’Herlihy said of a tense 0-12 to 0-12 draw in 2019.”

A year later in the Covid championship, Kilcar were given the fright of their lives as St Michael’s came back from 12 points down to two, twice, in the second half and left Towney aggrieved with a penalty that wasn’t given and a point that was. In the end, John McNulty’s side got away with a 3-14 to 3-12 winning margin against a St Michael’s team inspired by Michael Langan, who was essentially operating off one leg due to injury.

In the 2021 semi-final, St Michael’s and St Eunan’s were level at 0-5 at half-time in miserable conditions in Ballybofey before Liam Paul Ferry’s dismissal was the prelude to Kavanagh’s side running out winners on a 0-10 to 0-5 scoreline.

Even on their first All-County Football League outing this season, St Eunan’s were 1-2 to 0-0 down at the Bridge against a St Michael’s team who goaled through Kyle McGarvey. In the end, St Eunan’s were 2-8 to 1-6 winners.

“St Michael’s are consistently a quarter-final, even a semi-final team and we’re not looking any further than Saturday,” O’Herlihy added. “Last year they reached the semi-final and the match was a tough one for us. You never, ever anything easy from St Michael’s. The likes of Michael Langan, Martin McElhinney and Carlos O’Reilly are top-class players.”

St Eunan’s have a panel that many would give their right arm for, although it’s often overlooked that it’s only really come championship they get the opportunity to field anything near their strongest team, with players involved in various county panels throughout the All-County League. Even then, the likes of Kieran Tobin was in Boston for the summer so manager Rory Kavanagh and O’Herlihy play the ball as it lies.

“There’s plenty away for one reason or another so we just work with what we have and it’s good to get the younger players some time in the seniors and then get involved in the championship. That’s it really. We never look too far down the road and we never talk about people saying we’re favourites or anything like that. We’ll leave that to the media - it's not the way we see things. All we’re looking at now is St Michael’s.

St Eunan’s are likely to be almost at full strength with Niall O’Donnell, who was rested in the recent victories over Cloughaneely and MacCumhaill’s available for selection. The only definite absentee is Darragh Mulgrew, who suffered a dislocation of the finger in Bundoran. “It’s probably a week too soon for him,” O’Herlihy added.