Once more unto the breach for Gaoth Dobhair and Naomh Conaill in Donegal county final

Gaoth Dobhair and Naomh Conaill go head to head on Sunday for the second year in-a-row for the biggest prize in Donegal football, the Dr Maguire Cup. (4 pm)

In last year’s final, Gaoth Dobhair ended a 12-year famine with a comfortable seven points win over Naomh Conaill, who were appearing in their second final in-a-row. Naomh Conaill lost the previous year to Kilcar.

The general consensus among football people is that the injection of a number of young players has made a difference and that Naomh Conaill are a better side this season.

They are much better than the one that went down 1-7 to 0-17 in last year’s decider.

The Naomh Conaill manager, Martin Regan, certainly believes they are a more cohesive outfit.

But the big question on everybody's lips is has Naomh Conaill made up enough ground on the champions, who also went on last season to win a first Ulster crown.

“I do feel we are a better team. I do feel we have more options than last year,” said the Naomh Conaill boss.

“Charlie McGuinness and Kieran Gallagher are two young lads that have come in and have really lifted the team.

“Eoghan McGettigan did not play much last year, he was in America for the summer. He did not play much football the last two years because of injuries.

“When you have a player like that coming into your forward line he is going to make a difference.”

Regan also points to the fact Naomh Conaill were a man down early in the second half, losing Marty Boyle after he picked up black card along with a yellow from first half.

“Things went against us last year, too. We played 25 minutes with 14 men and we were only three or four points down at the time of the sending off.

“We were beaten well in the end but we were also beaten by the Ulster champions and there is no shame in that. Gaoth Dobhair are a serious opposition.

“I feel we are stronger now, whether that will get us any closer to them only time will tell. But we are going in as serious underdogs but we will give it our best shot.”

Naomh Conaill have bounced back from that defeat and they are there on merit.

They won their three games in the group against Killybegs, Dungloe and MacCumhaills with considerable ease to top the group.

In the quarter-final they overcame Glenfin before pipping St Eunan’s by a point in the semi-final.

Naomh Conaill went into the semi-final as underdogs against a highly fancied and emerging St Eunans, who had been showing good form and arrived in the last four undefeated and on the back of a big quarter-final win over Milford.

“We knew going into the St Eunans game there would not be much between us.

“We’ve met them a good few times over the last few years and there was never much between the teams and we knew there was never going to be any more than a kick of a ball in.

“They could have easily won it. I thought it was a great game and we just got over the line.”

Gaoth Dobhair, after a slow start and a low scoring opening round draw with St Eunans, made steady progress through the campaign. They defeated St Michaels at the Bridge, in the second of their group games before putting Ardara to the sword in the final game to top the group.

In the quarter-final they let a big second half lead slip away against Bundoran before emerging extra-time winners after being held to another draw in normal time.

But the double champions were back to their breathtaking best with a big semi-final win over championship favourites Kilcar.

The Gaoth Dobhair boss Mervyn O’Donnell admitted at Monday night’s county final press launch that following their long run last season they were pacing themselves.

The curtain only came down on last season following their All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Corofin in February.

“Kevin Cassidy and the McGees were pacing themselves and naturally their bodies can’t take what they could a decade ago so maybe it was a bit of a gamble in the group stages, but it showed our strength-in-depth to get through.

“So, if we peaked too early it would not work either and then we had lads like Ethan Harkin that brought us through the group stages.

“Seaghan Ferry and Peter McGee are great options and Harkin is a great talent, who is not unlike Eoghan McGettigan of Glenties.

“He will be a big player down the line when he fills out.”

The Gaoth Dobhair boss also admitted the Bundoran game was a big wake-up call and then the semi-final pairing with Kilcar was manna from heaven.

Kilcar were being talked up all season and were even the bookies favourites for the championship outright.

“Leading up to the semi-final the papers had it that it was heading to be a Eunan’s versus Kilcar final.

“It gives you a bit of an edge to go and win that game and that is how it felt to us.

“I also felt a bit insulted by the bookies’ odds as well. We were 2/1 and Kilcar were odds on and I was saying, well, we are Ulster champions and we just did not go away that quickly.”

The boot is on the other foot this weekend ahead of the final. Gaoth Dobhair are the raging hot favourites and Naomh Conaill have been cast as the underdogs.

So guarding against complacency is the main focus for Mervyn O’Donnell and his management team this week.

So how can they beat Glenties?

“We can’t have complacency, that is the big one.

“You need confidence, we have to show up, our discipline needs to be good and a lot of things have to happen to make sure we win the game”.

Naomh Conaill manger Martin Regan is quite philosophical about Sunday’s final and readily accepts the tag of underdogs. But he is not without a fair degree of hope his charges are capable of avoiding a third final defeat in-a-row.

Both Martin Regan and Mervyn O’Donnell have reported no injuries and are expecting to have a clean bill of health when they sit down to finalise their final selection.

Verdict: Gaoth Dobhair