Glenswilly are aiming to bridge a ten-year gap this Sunday and reach the Donegal SFC Final.
Current manager Darren McGinley came on as a sub as Glenswilly shocked Kilcar to win by a point in the 2016 decider, while Cormac Callaghan, Michael Murphy and Caolan Kelly all started and are still going strong for the Páirc Naomh Columba men.
They have only had one semi-final appearance in 2018 since then but good work at underage level has propelled them into a real player in the championship once again, and McGinley hopes his team can deliver a performance of substance.
“Some of our boys would have watched us winning championships, and some of them wouldn’t even remember that championship of 2016. They were too young then really to understand it.
“It’s too long since we were in semi-finals and finals.
“We were a top four most years when I was playing and we took on some very good teams back then.
“It’s still the same now but to get the experience for these boys will bode well for the future in the Glen.”
Glenswilly have claimed good knock-out wins over Termon and St Michael’s and confidence is growing.
They were eight points up at half-time against St Michael’s and demonstrated good game management after that.
“In and around that middle, if you’re not winning that breaking ball or creating those breaks, you’re not going to win much in Gaelic Football at the minute.
“We did that very well in the first half.
“The second half went a bit flat and even the crowd went flat. You could hear everyone chatting.
“We just kept the ball. They had to come out and they didn’t really.
“We lost it the odd time and that’s frustrating for the supporters but I thought we kept the ball well.”
It will be a tough ask against Naomh Conaill but Glenswilly did beat them in the group phase last year.
It will be a good test of their young players but the elder statesmen still carry out important jobs.
“Caolan is very smart, and we need his experience.
“We do lack that. You contrast it with St Michael’s who have massive experience but we have young boys with no fear.
“Then you have Caolan and Murphy up top, and they are always organising the boys.
“Those players are very hard to find and they are becoming rarer in the game as well.”
Another important player for Glenswilly is centre half-back Jack Gallagher.
The former county panellist has had an injury-hit season but brings great drive and football intellect to the half-back line.
“Jack was a frustrated character over the last number of weeks and months.
“He wasn’t too happy with me because I didn’t throw him in!
“But I’m trying to look after the boys and they are looking after me, and they are generally happy.
“Jack was brilliant (against St Michael’s) and over the last two or three weeks he has pushed big time to change my mind and everyone’s mind that he was ready for it, and we saw that he was.”
Verdict: Naomh Conaill
