Willie Gillespie runs the rule over Junior A semi-finals

The Donegal Junior A championship finalists will be decided this week with four teams - Na Rossa, Letterkenny Gaels, Carndonagh and Downings - dicing for a place in the final.

Of the last four standing, Na Rossa are the surprise semi-finalists of Naomh Colmcille marksman and former county U21 Willie Gillespie.

“Na Rossa are something of a surprise alright and would have been seen as outside the top four at the start of the season,” he said.

“But they’ve had a good league campaign and they have picked up a number of big wins, in the championship.

“In one of their last games, they beat Downings and I know from playing Downings at home over the last few years, not many teams get out of it with a win.

Na Rossa go head-to-head with Letterkenny Gaels, one of last year’s beaten semi-finalists, in Glenswilly on Saturday, 1pm.

“It is an interesting pairing,” Gillespie added. “Letterkenny Gaels had a very good league run and were promoted to Division Two next season.

“We played them in the championship and they beat us well. They have a big strong and physical side. They have a very good defence and midfield and Cormac Cannon and Conor McBrearty are top class forwards.

“I haven’t played against Na Rossa in recent years but I see that Christian Bonner is playing well for them in the middle of the field. And I see they have John McDyer back playing for them - another very good player.

“There will be no pushover but Letterkenny Gaels are playing at a higher level and they will have the memory of last year’s defeat driving them on.”

Verdict: Letterkenny Gaels

Carndonagh and Downings lock horns in the other semi-final, in Convoy on Saturday at 7pm

Downings last won the championship in 2016 and you have to go back to 2008 for the last time Carndonagh brought the Dr McCloskey Cup north.

“Carndonagh had a very good league and won Division Four and promotion to Division Three next year,” Gillespie said.

“They have Paddy Doherty and Danny Monagle in the full-back line and Conor O’Donnell and Ryan Kelly in the middle of the field. They are all very good players and they have Cathal Doherty in the full-forward line.

“We played them in the championship and Conor O’Donnell ran the show for them in the middle of the field. They have a good defence but they are not overly defensive and the day they played us they really attacked from the start.

“Downings are a good side too and they are very experienced and most of them would have won the championship a few years ago. “They also won the All-Ireland Gaeltacht. Lorcan Connor has been putting up big scores so far and Gary Ban McClafferty, Kealan and Johnny McGroddy are big players for them.

“Like Letterkenny Gaels, Downings are playing in the higher division - in their case Division 2 - and have championship experience.

“Given their experience of winning the championship before and the All-Ireland Gaeltacht success, I fancy Downings to win. But it will be close.

Verdict: Downings