Naomh Padraig, Muff flying the flag in Division Two minor final

Naomh Padraig from Muff, the Inishowen champions, are preparing this week for a crack at a Donegal Minor (U-17) Football Championship title on Bank Holiday Monday at O’Donnell Park at 1:30pm against St Naul’s.

Naomh Padraig reached last year's finals but the decider against Cloughaneely was one of the many victims of Covid- 19 and was never played. It is still in the ‘pending finals’ basket.

With wins over Naomh Colmcille, Carndonagh, Urris, Buncrana and then Malin in the Inishowen final, they defeated a strong Killybegs in the county quarter-final and a stronger Naomh Columba in the semi-final.

So it is fair to say the side managed by Karol Lynch is well road-tested.

“You could say they are well road tested alright,” said the Tyrone native and former Errigal Ciaran junior player.

“We did lose to Malin in the group stages but we beat them in the final - though in fairness to Malin, they were short a few players in the final.

“We kicked on since winning Inishowen and we beat two very good teams in Killybegs and Naomh Columba to qualify for the final. And we are aware that we are facing a good St Naul’s side in the final. They have come through their group unbeaten, before losing to Naomh Columba in the southern final.

“It will be a tough test but it is one we are looking forward to,” he added.

“We’ve a very young side 10 of them are minor again next year and we have a number of survivors from last year’s team that reached the final too.

“We feel we have a good mix and the wins over Killybegs and Naomh Columba has brought them on. They are a very committed group and they have put in a big effort all season and really it all comes down to putting in a performance on Monday afternoon in O’Donnell Park.”

Oisin McIntyre and Cormac McColgan, members of this season’s Donegal minor team, are the big men in the Naomh Padraig armoury. Oisin and Cormac will be stationed around the middle of the field. But they have a lot of quality through the team.

“They are looking forward to the final and there is a great buzz around the club this week. The seniors are in the quarter final of the junior championship and we are in the minor final.”

County star Peadar Mogan is the St Naul’s manager with his dad Peter and Cathal Campbell former county player and another club stalwart in his management team.

Naomh Padraig panel: Tiernan Doherty; Cormac McColgan, Cormac Kelly, Micheal McCarron; Jason Lynch, Andrew McMenamin, Ciaran Mulcahy; Oisin McIntyre, Daniel McFadden; Patrick Hirrell, Rian Gallagher, Ruairi Crossan; Andrew McCarron,Kevin Lynch, Cormac Doherty. Subs: James McCauley, Evan Davenport, Aaron McLaughlin, Jamie McColgan, Tiernan Davenport, Ciaran Roberts, James Donaghy, Keelan Henry.