BY MATTHEW WILSON
St Eunan’s manager Kieran Donnelly says his side are eagerly anticipating this season’s Senior Football Championship as they aim to reclaim the title they lost last term.
Kieran Donnelly is in his first year at the helm of the O’Donnell Park outfit, having taken over from Barry Meehan.
St Eunan’s had a solid Division 1 campaign this season, securing a third-place finish while also ensuring a large number of players gained valuable minutes, an aspect Donnelly was particularly happy with.
“It was a solid league campaign. It was new to me as well in terms of the lay of the land and the different teams but I was pleased with it.
“We wanted to use it to get exposure for all of our squad and we managed to do that. Some of that was forced through injury and players being unavailable but a lot of young players got game time.
“It was the only way for them to learn about the standard of senior football in Donegal and for me to learn about them.
“We nearly made the league final in the end, we’d a good run in the last few games. Overall, it was positive from a variety of angles.”
The senior exposure gained by a large number of players during the league campaign should stand to St Eunan’s, strengthening their squad options as they move further into the championship.
As well as this, Donnelly will be boosted by the return of their county contingent who have re-integrated themselves back into the setup in recent weeks.
The returning players will strengthen the Fermanagh man’s hand, and Donnelly said that they’re pleased to be back in the mix.
“The county season is so intensive so they need that natural switch off after it. We were able to give them that time, with Donegal exiting the championship early. There was no need to force them back at that stage of the season.
“Anytime you’ve the lads quality to come back in, you look forward to integrating them back into the team again. We’ve been able to do that and they’re glad to be back involved as well.
“Any player that reaches county level is disciplined and focused so it’s good to have them back in our team environment and for our push for the season ahead.”
The Letterkenny outfit will meet Sean MacCumhaills in round two of the Senior Football Championship but up first is a home clash against Aodh Ruadh this weekend.
The pair played out a close contest in the final round of Division 1 a couple of weeks ago and this could be another intriguing battle.
The two upcoming encounters will provide Donnelly’s charges with stern tests, but he said they are looking forward to getting their championship campaign up and running.
“The success that Donegal have had is reflective of the club scene. There’s been no easy club league games and especially with these two teams, we’re in no position to take our eye off any game.
“We know that Aodh Ruadh will bring a challenge, they were the highest goalscorers in the league and that in itself tells a story.
“We’re looking forward to it. Every game brings its own challenges and no doubt the first two games will bring us that.”
Bainisteoir: Kieran Donnelly
Captain: Conor O’Donnell Snr
Last Year:
SFC Preliminary Quarter-finalists
Star Man: Shane O’Donnell
One to Watch: Luke McGuinness