Hero of 1992 Manus Boyle gives his take on this weekend's Donegal SFC action

We are down to the last eight in the Michael Murphy Sports & Leisure Donegal senior football championship and by Sunday evening, there will be just four left standing.

It is doubtful if there is anyone in the county who has played in more quarter-finals than Manus Boyle and this week he runs the rule over those games, which are spread from Friday night until Sunday evening.
On the overall draw for the last eight, the Killybegs man says that St Eunan's will be the happiest of all.

"When asked at the start of the year on a podcast with Ciaran Cannon, I said St Eunan's, if they get a run at it and get a good draw, they have a good chance.

"It's unreal that they have avoided the big three," said Manus Boyle, who feels that there is going to be a real battle in the top half of the draw.

St Michael's v Aodh Ruadh
MacCumhaill Park, Friday 8.30
After seeing Aodh Ruadh, the fact that they took a good point off Glenties. You would be wary of the round robin series and where teams are at. But when you consider Naomh Conaill were training some weeks before that for a county final, that they would have been further on than at the same stage last year.
Being at the Aodh Ruadh-Ardara game on Saturday, they were excellent. They could have been so much better when they fisted four or five over the bar. If they got a wee bit tighter on that, they would have got at least two goals out of it, even being conservative.
They are moving well. Neither side can afford to pick up injuries and I believe both teams have some injuries.
Talking to the Killybegs lads after Sunday, they would say St Michael's were not as strong as they used to be. They do have (Michael) Langan but I feel Aodh Ruadh have enough around the field to combat him.
St Michael's have struggled against Four Masters and Killybegs but they do have the experience of Christy (Toye), Colm Anthony (McFadden) and McElhinney if he plays.
I still think the fitness levels that Ballyshannon have shown and the buzz that they got from winning the Intermediate; they don't have expectations and anything else is a bonus.
Verdict: Aodh Ruadh

Kilcar v MacCumhaill's
Ardara. Saturday, 8.00
Kilcar. I mean they probably surprised a lot of people by putting in up to Naomh Conaill in the disputed county final, we will call it. They are slick and never struggled at any time. And even when they have had to rest their main players in league, they were still winning them handily.
I think MacCumhaill's, it's a good result for them to get to the quarter-finals. It means they are going the right way. They gave Gaoth Dobhair a run last year, but the difference between Gaoth Dobhair and Kilcar, Gaoth Dobhair since that Ulster club championship, have never been able to repeat it year after year the way Naomh Conaill and Kilcar have.
At some point Kilcar and Naomh Conail are going to slow down, but there is no evidence of that yet, especially Kilcar. If they have a weakness, it's in the backline, but they have converted Eoin McHugh (to full-back).
I don't see anything past Kilcar at the minute in that game.
Verdict: Kilcar

St Naul's v St Eunan's
MacCumhaill Park. Sunday 3.00
"It is the ideal draw for St Eunan's. St Naul's will be delighted to have made the quarter-finals, and like Ballyshannon, they have nothing to lose. There will be no expectations.
"If the players approach it like that and let the shackles off, they will certainly test St Eunan's. But with the squad and the experience that Eunan's have, they should have too much.
"In the last number of years they have failed to deliver on their potential and have been dominated by the big three. I have no doubt that Rory Kavanagh and Co will want to break that sequence and put St Eunan's name on the championship again.
"I tipped them at the start and it's a good draw for them. But they would be unwise to take St Naul's for granted. St Naul's have a very good team with good players and they have a very good goalkeeper in young Mulreany. Stephen Griffin is as good a player and I feel never got the try out at county that many others would have got. And with Mogan and Brendan McCole, who by all accounts was good on Saturday, you would expect them to test St Eunan's.
Verdict: St Eunan's

Naomh Conaill v Gaoth Dobhair
MacCumhaill Park. Sunday 5.15
"That's a clinker. They have sailed through. Gaoth Dobhair haven't really been tested. I know they are under new management; is Neil McGee back to full fitness? Where Dáire Ó Baoill is? Where Odhrán Mac Niallais is? It's hard to know.
"If you have to play Naomh Conaill, it is better to play them in a quarter-final because in a final they are at a different level. If Gaoth Dobhair are to do anything in this year's championship, they needed a draw like that to waken them, put the fire in the belly and waken the beast.
"Like St Eunan's, they have an unbelievable squad, plenty of underage success in the last five or six years. They had an exceptional U-16 team a few years ago and they should be coming now putting pressure on the McGees and everybody else.
"If they have one advantage, is that in tight games, and it showed this year in the 2020 county final, Naomh Conaill struggle to put on a big score. They like to keep the game tight and slow the game down to nearly walking pace and make it a dogfight.
"If Gaoth Dobhair get running at them and get a bit of steam up, they have that ability to make life hard for Naomh Conaill and they have a lot of people who can score.
"But it shows the level that Naomh Conaill have that they can go to Glenswilly without the Thompsons. They knew that they were qualified, but it will be interesting if the two boys are not fit. That would give Gaoth Dobhair a massive opportunity.
"But it's hard to look past Naomh Conaill after the last number of years, but if you are going to catch them, then the quarter or semi-final is the place.
"I think it will end up very close. It has the potential to be a draw and go to extra-time, but if the Thompsons are fit they are tipped. You also have to factor that with Cassidy and Duffy, it's a new voice in the Gaoth Dobhair dressingroom and they will be telling them that they haven't kicked on from that Ulster success. It has to be hurting the likes of McGee, Ó Baoill and Mac Niallais that the Donegal club scene has been dominated by Kilcar and Naomh Conaill since that."
Verdict: Naomh Conaill

Relegation play-offs
Ardara v Glenswilly
Sunday. Convoy 1 pm
"For me, after seeing Ardara against Aodh Ruadh, they don't look to be near where they have to be to take on the likes of Glenswilly. I saw Glenswilly play Killybegs in league and championship. When they came for the championship game, they were a completely different team. They will have counted themselves very unfortunate not to be in the quarter-finals. I know they had gripes about decisions in the game against St Naul's, but who doesn't have gripes in championship games.
"Ardara need to hedge their bets for another day."
Verdict: Glenswilly
Milford v Bundoran
Convoy. Saturday 6.00

"Bundoran had a good showing against St Eunan's, but they have struggled without Jamie Brennan. I think they will have enough. I saw Milford against Killybegs and they relied a lot on Kane Barrett. If Bundoran close him down, I think they will have enough. There will be a lot of nervous tension in these games."
Verdict: Bundoran