Getting to final is good for our player development - Aodh Ruadh's Brian Gillespie

Aodh Ruadh, Ballyshannon are back in as Senior B final and manager, Brian Gillespie, says it is all about developing players for the senior ranks.

"We haven't been in a county final at this level since 2002. Admittedly about 10 of those years were down in Intermediate. It is  great for Aodh Ruadh to have some involvement on county final day.

“We had our underage players there in the stands at quarter-final and semi-final and that is great for the club.

“We just want to be as competitive as we could all through the league and into the championship and look, if you can get a bit of success at the end, that’s great too.”

There is a great mix of youth and experience, says Gillespie, “and then there’s Sticky”.

Michael ‘Sticky’ Ward is the elder statesman of the side and he has been rolling back the years.

“He’s been phenomenal for us this year. He’s been involved in coaching and his head is full of knowledge. With people like that around you have to utilise them. His help off the pitch and on the pitch is exceptional. He has been a great help to young players, just fantastic. We’re lucky to have him,” said Gillespie.

It has been a steady rather than spectacular championship campaign for Aodh Ruadh.

“We started in the championship with Four Masters and we were missing a lot that day. We had to go deep into our squad and we were really delighted to get a late free to equalise.

“We have been building slowly from there. Gaoth Dobhair gave us a bit of a tanking in Ballyshannon, but thenwe have progressed week on week,” said Gillespie, who said that they would be at much the same strength for the final as they were against Gaoth Dobhair in Munday’s Field.

“Gaoth Dobhair have won every game they played this year apart from the league game against us in the park and that was a game we should never have won.

Odhrán Doherty looking forward to fourth county final on Sunday next

The youngest of the three Doherty brothers making a big impact with Naomh Conaill and Donegal in 2023

“They have been racking up massive scores and they have a lot of good young lads from the U-21s of last year.  And they have Cass (Kevin Cassidy) still going. Everything put in front of them this year they have come through fairly comfortably.

“They will have the same team that played us in Ballyshannon apart from Kieran Gillespie.”

The Aodh Ruadh manager knows that it will be a difficult game for his side.

“It will be a tough challenge but we will give it our best shot. We have had a great team ethic this year with no player really standing out. We also have a good mix and all have knuckled down.

“The reward has been getting to this final. For those lads to get to the final is a great experience and that is very important for their development.

“In Ballyshannon you are always judged on the championship. We hope to get stuck in on Sunday and hopefully we can bring a bit of silverware back,” said Gillespie.