BY RYAN FERRY
IT’S been a great journey for the Donegal Under 14 LGFA side this season and they are hoping to conclude matters on a high with victory over Derry in the All-Ireland Silver Final.
Brendan McGee and Shaun Sharkey’s side have improved throughout the campaign.
They would love to finish with silverware but it won’t be easy.
Derry got the better of Donegal in the Ulster Final by 3-8 to 2-10. It was a game decided by fine margins.
It’s expected to be close again on Saturday in Emyvale when the neighbouring counties meet with throw-in at 3pm.
“We started back in November with trials and from then to now it has probably been two to three days a week so it’s been a big commitment,” Sharkey told the Donegal News.
“We played a few friendlies and we had our panel finalised going into January.
“The first game then was on the 28th of February and we played in an Ulster competition initially and that graded us for an All-Ireland Series.
“Going into the final game of Ulster, we were due to play Fermanagh and they then conceded that game.
“That could have propelled us into the gold one if we had beaten them so that subsequently meant Down went through in the gold championship and they have reached the final of that on Saturday as well.
“Ulster seems very competitive. There’s four finals now – Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze and there are only two teams out of Ulster left in them which is Cork and Kerry.
“Kerry are in the Gold Final and Cork are in the Platinum against Armagh.
“We played a blitz in Galbally after Ulster and that further graded us. We finished top of our group and we played Carlow and Westmeath since then to make the final.
“We came good in the second half against Westmeath and the substitutions made a massive difference in the second half.
“We meet Derry now and we already played them in the Ulster Final a few weeks ago so that will be tough.”
Sharkey has been enthused by how the young group have bonded together and grown in recent months.
“It’s been great watching friendships form.
“A lot of them have become great pals.
“Our own club Under 14 competition starts a week on Saturday and I don’t know how they are going to come up against each other.
“Making memories and forming those relationships is what it’s all about.
“It hasn’t been plain sailing all along. We were battling for pitches when the weather was poor.
“Really up until April, you were still looking for a location right up to the training day.
“In fairness to everyone and the LGFA executive, there wasn’t a day where we wanted to train and couldn’t train. It was last minute a lot of the time.
“Convoy has been our main base for the last two months which has been great and we used Deele last week as well.
“I’d like to give the Downings club a special mention because they have been very accommodating throughout the whole thing.
“We were down two weeks ago for training and a wee day out, and they couldn’t have done enough for us.”
Donegal’s confidence is high after a good win over Westmeath in Emyvale last week and they are hoping that familiarity with the ground will work in their favour.
“It’s been a journey and a commitment. Brendan McGee is my co-manager and sometimes we are looking at each other and asking why the bloody hell did we get ourselves into this.
“But then you come to a Saturday and you win a semi-final and you think it’s all worth it.
“We go into a final this Saturday and you have to win that now to make it all the better.”
Donegal Under 14 squad: Dearbhla McNulty, Riona McIntyre, Samara McGlinchey, Niamh McGinty, Saoirse Hannigan, Emily McHugh (Sean MacCumhaills), Emily Barr, Faye McClenaghan, Alannah Doherty, Grace McMonagle (Moville), Rachel Boyle (Naomh Columba), Laoise Carty (Letterkenny Gaels), Casey Friel, Zoey Friel (Termon), Amelia McGee, Ayva Boyle, Cáit Sharkey, Naoise Sweeney, Aaliyah Gallagher-Canavan (Dungloe), Molly Gallagher, Katie Gallagher, Sinead McMenamin (Termon), Minnie Coyle, Lucy Doohan (Cloughaneely), Aoife Kelly (Red Hughs), Lucy McNulty (Milford), Sarah Lett, Orlaith O’Donnell (Killybegs), Fiadh Rose McNulty (Realt na Mara), Fiadh McGinley (St Michael’s), Eimear Doherty, Ciara McVeigh-Crossan (Gaeil Fhánada), Lauren Organ (St Eunan’s).
Joint-Managers: Shaun Sharkey, Brendan McGee (Dungloe). Coaches: Conor McNulty (Milford), Damien McGowan (Dungloe), Bernie McIntyre (Sean MacCumhaills), Susanne White (Killybegs). FLOs: Aine Hannigan (Sean MacCumhaills), Michelle Boyle, Kelly Gallagher (Dungloe). Paramedic: Brian McHugh (Realt na Mara).