BY RYAN FERRY

LETTERKENNY Gaels showed glimpses of their potential during the league and manager Aidy Glackin is hopeful that a stronger team and more consistency can help them over the coming weeks.

Glackin, who is in his first season in charge, was happy to blood players in Division 3, and while they were a bit off the promotion shake-up, there was plenty to encourage the Glenswilly native.

“The league went well for the Gaels in the sense that we got to work with over thirty players,” said Glackin.

“I would say we had ten or twelve U21s in our squad that have got game time.

“The big matches against Burt, Red Hughs and Naomh Brid who were the top three, we were either level or ahead against them all heading into injury-time but were pipped at the post. We were able to put it up to anybody but just came up a wee bit short in some of them.

“I wouldn’t have been overly worried about that because the young lads are learning and we would feel if we have everybody fit and available which we didn’t seem to have earlier in the year.

“I’m hoping for the championship, we will be at full-strength.”

Letterkenny Gaels were off the pace last season but they should be a threat in the Junior Championship.

Once again, Conor McBrearty spent the early part of the year in Madrid but is back at home again now.

Ronan Frain is playing with Padraig Pearses in Chicago and is likely to miss one or two games

Glackin says they will need everyone as they are on the challenging side of the draw.

“It’s very tough. Carn is the team that jumps out at you straight away.

“I’ve seen them a few times and they have some very good players.

“They are very strong down the middle and have good forwards and you have Conor O’Donnell to come in as well.

“We have Naomh Ultan in the group too and they are the one team that gave us a bit of a doing in the league this season.

“We weren’t good that day but they were very good. Cian Kennedy is one of the best players I have seen this year.

“We played Moville in the second last game of the league and beat them by three points and we were lucky to get that even though we were experimenting a bit that day. We beat Newtown earlier in the year. They probably don’t have as many stand-out players as some of the other teams but they will be well organised for the championship.

“We haven’t been consistent enough to take any team for granted.”