As the curtain comes down on another Donegal SFC campaign, Ryan Ferry picks his Team of the Championship.
1.Shaun Patton (St Eunan’s)
Shaun Patton
The St Eunan’s number one may have been disappointed with one or two of the goals he conceded but he is without question the best goalkeeper in the county. His kick-outs are a huge weapon for the O’Donnell Park outfit and it was interesting to see Naomh Conaill concede them last Saturday. That’s likely to be a tactic that Patton and ‘Eunan’s will face more frequently going forward, even against the top teams.
2. Kevin McGettigan (Naomh Conaill)
The Naomh Conaill captain once again had a terrific season for his team. He goes about his business quietly and without much fanfare but he is a good defender and is excellent on the ball. He followed Niall O’Donnell in the county final and kept the county star to only one point from play.
3. Danny Curran (Gaoth Dobhair)
Danny Curran.
Curran didn’t play every game at full-back for the Magheragallon men in the championship but he did have an excellent outing at number three in the county semi-final against Naomh Conaill. After spending a long number of years in the Middle East, he brought real aggression to a youthful Gaoth Dobhair side this year.
4. Aaron Deeney (St Eunan’s)
Deeney is well-established in the St Eunan’s backline now, and in a championship which wasn’t renowned for good defending, his willingness to put his body on the line stood out. He also developed the attacking side of his game this year, and did a decent job when picking up Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí in the final.
5. Ryan McShane (Kilcar)
McShane made a real mark this year and took the group stages of the championship by storm while he was also to the fore against Killybegs in the quarter-final. The Donegal Under 20 panellist has become a key player for the Towney men.
6. Conor O’Donnell Snr (St Eunan’s)
Conor O’Donnell Snr.
Conor O’Donnell Snr had a fantastic season for St Eunan’s and is such a controlling presence for his team. He is usually the man launching their attacks from deep, and is clever at getting on the end of moves. The Donegal SFC final was disappointing for St Eunan’s but O’Donnell was one man who really carried the fight for the black and amber men.
7. Eoin Waide (Naomh Conaill)
Waide has been one of the most under-rated players in Donegal club football over the last 15 years, and he still continues to produce the goods for Naomh Conaill. He’s now well into his thirties but his engine and appetite for work shows no signs of waning. A real leader for the Glenties club.
8. Ciaran McGinley (Kilcar)
Ciaran McGinley.
McGinley was man-of-the-match in Kilcar’s first two games against Milford and Cloughaneely, and they struggled somewhat when he didn’t play against Bundoran in their final group match. The big midfielder then posted three points in the quarter-final, while he gave his all in the semi-final with St Eunan’s.
9. Ciaran Thompson (Naomh Conaill)
There is very rarely a day when Ciaran Thompson goes out and isn’t closely tagged but he just seems to find ways of influencing games. He landed important scores at various stages of the championship, while he was heroic in the decider against St Eunan’s and fired everything he had at the Letterkenny men.
10. Ciaran Moore (St Eunan’s)
It was an excellent break-out club campaign for Moore. He caught the eye with super displays against St Naul’s and Kilcar while he hit goals against Cloughaneely and St Michael’s. Like many of his teammates, the county final didn’t go to plan, but he is certainly a player to watch out for going forward.
11. Odhran Doherty (Naomh Conaill)
Odhran Doherty.
Doherty was given a freer role this year in the half-forward line as opposed to man-marking in defence. The Fintown man wasn’t at full tilt in the group stages but really came alive at the business end of the season. He was man-of-the-match in the semi-final and got through a mountain of work in the middle third in the final while also playing in the long searching ball for Charlie McGuinness’s goal.
12. Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí (Naomh Conaill)
MacCeallbhuí missed the first game of the championship and only came on as a late sub in the second outing, but his return to the team proved to be a catalyst for improvement. He came up with some massive plays during the remainder of the championship such as his electric turn of pace for Eunan Doherty’s goal which helped to turn the tide in the quarter-final against Glenswilly.
13. Patrick McBrearty (Kilcar)
Patrick McBrearty
McBrearty showed his class with a number of superb displays in the championship. It wasn’t just the lesser lights that he did it against either, as the likes of Killybegs and St Eunan’s couldn’t handle him in the knock-out stages. At times, it felt like he was running his own individual score of the championship competition.
14. Michael Murphy (Glenswilly)
It was a good championship campaign for full-forwards, but nobody stood out more so than Michael Murphy, and it was refreshing to see him play so close to goal. There were man-of-the-match displays against Naomh Conaill and Ardara in the group stages, while he really didn’t deserve to end up on the losing side in the Glen’s quarter-final defeat when he was a real handful on the edge of the square.
15. Brendan McDyer (Naomh Conaill)
Brendan McDyer.
Brendan McDyer has been an integral part of the Naomh Conaill machine for a long number of years now and he always just seems to find little pockets where he can do damage. He was brilliant when their backs were to the wall at the Bridge and scored 1-3 against St Michael’s, while he delivered a vintage display in the final scoring three stunning points.
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