THE Donegal U14 girls will contest the Ulster Silver final today against Down in Augher at 3pm.
The Aidan McAteer managed side had eight games against their Ulster counterparts in the U14 Festival of Football and finished in fifth place to qualify for the final of the silver competition.
The Silver final means that Donegal will go into an All-Ireland ‘B’ quarter-final, regardless of the result this weekend.
But the result meant much more in terms of development for the future, according to McAteer.
“The results from the Festival of Football gave us a grading for the next two years so we will play Division 1 football at U16 level which ultimately was the aim.
“I don’t think we have played at that level for a couple of years so it’s good to get back to playing Division 1 football.
“It is about development and some counties treated it different to others. Donegal traditionally have used it as a development competition but with the grading, we wanted to be in the top division so we targeted matches that we wanted to win to get into it.
“We played Down already and beat them but because counties use the games for development and now it’s a final so both teams will be going at it harder and it’ll be a true reflection of where we’re at.
“There’s so many different factors, we had an hour rest before we played them and it was 20 minutes each way, this Saturday it’s 30 minutes a half which is a different story.
“Down are a good team and it definitely won’t be easy.
“A final is a final and we’ll want to win, we’ve used all 36 in our panel and it is about development.”
With a big panel to use, there is an equally large backroom team that the Gaeil Fhánada clubman has for support, with Kieran Gallagher (Glenswilly), Joe Friel (Cloughaneely), Maxi Curran (Downings), Peter McHugh (Ardara) and Seamus McAteer (Gaeil Fhánada) among those.
And the squad is made up of a strong spine with Niamh McGlinchey (Robert Emmets), Megan Gallagher (Four Masters), Andrea Reid (Sean MacCumhaill’s), Molly Friel (Cloughaneely) and Amy McAteer (Gaeil Fhánada) all impressing this year, but there are a couple of players expected to be missing for the weekend.
“When you have two matches you need two separate crews and we’re trying to cater for 36 kids for football and food and everything but the county board are really supportive on it.
“Niamh is one of our main players and hurt her back. Ella Brennan is carrying a knock and then I have a couple of girls making their confirmation on Saturday, Adha Gill and Mya Barr from Moville will both miss out which is disappointing but they’ll get plenty more finals in years to come.”
U14 SQUAD
Ella Browne, Elin Mc Dermott Megan Mc Connell, Molly Friel, Abi Mc Geehan, Megan Gallagher, Adha Gill, Niamh Mc Glinchey, Jessica Mitchell, Faye Gillespie, Kate Mc Menamin, Shauna Doohan, Ruby Mc Gee, Grace Mc Bride, Iona Mc Hugh, Aoife Meehan, Clodagh Mc Ateer, Katie McGlinchey, Ellie Bonner, Rachel Wallace, Ella Brennan, Aoibhinne Mc Gilloway, Orla Mc Laughlin, Mya Barr, Danielle Campbell, Clara Gillespie, Andrea Reid, Cara Mc Fadden, Eabha Molly, Aoibheann Mc Elhinney, Zarhina Carr, Kyra Gavigan, Saoirse Mc Dermott, Aoibheann Gallagher, Dayna Molly, Amy Mc Ateer.
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