BY RYAN FERRY
CUP Final fever is building in Kilmacrennan this week as the club gear up for another crack at Letterkenny Rovers.
The clubs have already played out two highly competitive games this season.
Martin McGinley’s Kilmacrennan will go into the final with confidence after a super semi-final victory against a fancied Kildrum side.
“We are absolutely delighted to be playing in the cup final against a top team in Letterkenny Rovers.
“It’s taken four games to get there and it will be our toughest test yet on Sunday.
“We faced a massive test last week against Kildrum in the semi-final.
“We were 3-0 up in that game and were fairly cruising but they made four substitutions at half-time and put us under the cosh in the second half.
“We came away with a 4-3 victory and we were just happy to get through.
“The occasion will be big for everyone involved in the club.”
It’s been a tough campaign for Kilmacrennan but they would love to conclude matters with silverware.
“My takeaway from my first season in charge is just how competitive the standard was,” said McGinley, who is sweating over the fitness of John ‘Rab’ Sandilands.
“We were competitive in every match and were only ever beaten by one goal in any match.
“Letterkenny Rovers beat us in Leckview in the 95th minute and we went to the Dry Arch and took a point off Bonagee and got a point in Traigh-a-Loch against Fanad.
“We competed well against the teams at the top but the sides around us and below us were the ones we struggled against at times.
“Late goals really cost us. I was adding it up the other night and we could have had ten to twelve more points if we hadn’t conceded goals late on.
“That left us under pressure and we needed to beat Rovers to guarantee our safety.
“We were lucky in a way that Rovers had their business done the previous Sunday and they rotated their squad but it was still an important win for us.
“The pressure eased then and they played with freedom against Kildrum and I hope they play the same way this Sunday.”
It’s only a short jaunt up the road from Kilmacrennan’s new grounds at Leitir to Letterkenny and a lot of their players are working in the Cathedral Town.
McGinley knows all about the close ties between the two towns.
“I know Anthony Gorman for years and we’ve worked together in two different jobs and we are both still with An Post.
“Stephen (McConnell) is working with An Post and Aidy Delap, and then on our side you have Ryan Shields working there from our side as well so you have a lot of guys that are interlinked.
“Then you have Henry (Welles) and Nathan Bonner who joined us from Rovers. I thanked Stephen for that and they have been two great players for us and two great young men as well.
“We know each other inside out but on a day of a cup final, it’s a battle of wits and nerve and who can hold it together best and get the right performance.”