SETANTA are back in a final once again and selector Jason Ewing feels their recent success has helped the club to go from strength to strength.
It’s a seventh Donegal final in-a-row for the club and the Cross men will be looking to win a third title on the trot and make the step up to Ulster Senior football.
But Burt stand in their way first today and it’s a first competitive game in four and-a-half weeks for the club, although there weren’t too many complaints about that.
“We were actually happy enough with that because we had a couple of niggles and it meant we were able to get them all back fully fit and training.
“It’s a long way off for competitive games but we’re happy enough, we got a few challenge matches under our belt and we kept ourselves busy and we’ve been kept going.
“We’re all back fully fit so there are a lot of boys fighting for places.”
Setanta will go into the game as favourites and they took an eight point home win against today’s opponents when they last met in the group.
But Ewing is taking nothing for granted and as the men from the Cross well know from their Ulster run last season, going into a game as favourites means there can be a scalp to be taken.
“We were missing about five when we played Burt and they gave us a big scare in the first half as they went in five points up after scoring three goals but the boys stepped up in the second half and thankfully we ended up winning by eight, Burt only got three points in the second half, but the last meeting means nothing.
“County final day is a different animal and it’s two teams that know each other down through the years and I don’t see there being much in it either way, they turned us over in 2018 and in 2022 they took us to extra-time so everyone can say what they want, we had a great year last year but that’s finished. This is a new season with new targets and nothing is guaranteed.
“You have Dara Grant, Stephen Gillespie, Ciaran Bradley at the back then the forward line of Ronan McDermott, Liam McKinney, Conor Gartland, we know they have strong players in the back line and forward line and it’ll come down to who wants it the most.
“We had nine in the county panel last year and Burt had something like eight so the boys know each other inside out, they know our weaknesses and strengths and we know theirs.”
Setanta have been without Michael Donoghue this year, while Davin Flynn has also not opted in again this season.
Conor Gallen has missed the majority of the season due to work but they have added Fionn Farren from the minor side and they are looking just as strong as when they won the Ulster Intermediate title.
“Mick didn’t play that much last year either, he got a bad injury playing football and he came back in the Ulster campaign.
“Fionn is eligible this year and it has been a big help to bring in fresh talent this year. The great thing about last year is that success breeds success and last year will stand to us.
“We’ve done development upstairs in the clubhouse and there’s a new practice pitch. Then our minor team made the A final for the first time in eight or nine years.”
With joint-managers Kevin Campbell and Niall Cleary also lining out for the team, selectors Ewing and Gary McGettigan are on top of things on the side line during games.
“We have a good working relationship and we’ll sit down tonight and go through different scenarios to make sure we have everything in place and we know what the boys would want us to do. But Gary has a great head on him and he can see things going on there and it’s a big help to have him there.”
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