LETTERKENNY Gaels manager Aidy Glackin admits his side did have a bit of a fall-off after sealing promotion in Division 3 but he hopes they can get things back on track this Saturday.
Gaels finished the 2025 campaign strongly, and even though they lost the Junior Championship final, they carried strong momentum into the new campaign.
They impressed early on and took care of their business early but didn’t hit their best levels late in the campaign.
It’s been three weeks since they last played a game and Glackin hopes the focus is back.
“We played our first nine games in the first nine weeks of the season.
“We had a few weeks off after that and then we had three games in a week-and-a-half or so and we have had none since.
“At the start of the year, you’re not really thinking about a final. Our objective all season was to get promoted, whether that was first, second or in a play-off.
“Lucky enough we got it done with a couple of games to spare.
“Once we got the promotion sealed down in Newtown there was a bit of a fall-off after that.
“We played Naomh Bríd after that and lost by six, and we drew at home to Convoy thanks to an injury-time point.
“We were nowhere near the level we had been playing at and maybe that can be put down to when you took away the promotion that they had been working to, they weren’t the same.
“I’m hoping now that a few boys got a break and a chance to go on holiday and we have had a few weeks of good training, so we should have most of the boys back together this weekend and will try and get back on track ahead of the championship.
“The game is in Convoy which is a great pitch and you have great weather at the moment, so we’re all looking forward to it.
“Our games with Naomh Bríd are normally fairly competitive so it should be a good one.”
Ronan Frain is currently in Chicago and he will be a big loss while Niall Diver is injured.
Those two players will be missed but Glackin is quick to point out that Naomh Brid won’t be at full strength either and he expects a close battle.
“Naomh Brid are very similar to us in that they have their three or four very experienced players and then they have a lot of young lads around it.
“They are probably the strongest team in junior football around midfield. Callum Gallagher is centre half-back, then you have Gearoid Gallagher and Damien Cleary in midfield and (Eoin) Rush around centre-forward so they go with a strong midfield diamond.
“That’s where so many of their attacks are launched from and then you have good young forwards like Aaron McGrory and Eoghan Gallagher inside and they have caused us bother every time.
“We have played them now twice in the league and once in the championship since I took over the Gaels and the only time we beat them was in extra-time in the championship last year.
“They are a very good side and it should be a really good game on Saturday.
“I don’t think either team will be holding back for championship either.
“Whoever can get the win on Saturday will see it as a good boost.
“A lot of people are putting ourselves, Naomh Bríd, Convoy and Naomh Ultan as the four teams at the top so to get a chance to play one of them in a final a few weeks before the championship is a good game for us.”