BY RYAN FERRY

PHILIP Doherty missed out on last year’s Intermediate Final but he was a man on a mission to help the Glencolmcille side to glory this time around.

Doherty, who was part of the Donegal panel in 2024, missed the full league after getting injured against Bundoran last year, but has returned in fine fettle and has made a real difference.

“I did the cruciate after the quarter-final last year.

“It’s horrible on the line. You feel helpless and you can’t do anything.

“I just aimed to be back for the start of August and I just made the deadline for the first game.

“I was a man on a mission. I was annoyed that I didn’t get to play in the final last year.

“Anyone who has gone through the ACL recovery, it’s a long, old hard road but it flies by when you’re doing the work.

“August wasn’t long coming and I was delighted to get back in the team.”

Malin got two goals but Naomh Columba always had a cushion and always looked the more likely winners.

“We made a wee bit of hard work of it in the end.

“It’s been a long time coming for our club.

“We have lost three finals in the last ten years or so.

“A lot of players have come and gone during that time and this is as much for them as anyone.”

Naomh Columba only scored four points in the 2022 decider against Dungloe and eight points against Termon last season.

However, the scores have come more feely this term.

“The new rules have favoured have a lot of teams and I think we might have been one of them.

“We have a lot of good forwards there.

“All six of them are good on their day and then we have the power at the back with Eric Carr, Paul O’Hare and Pauric Hegarty – boys that can break lines.

“I think on our day, we’re as good as anyone when we set up the way we want to.”