Performance key for Naomh Columba

By Michael McMullan

SUNDAY is all about performance for Naomh Columba as they lock horns with Malin in the Donegal Intermediate decider.

The Glencolmcille lost to Termon in last year’s final and came up short against Dungloe at the final corner in 2022.

Speaking at Monday’s launch in Convoy, Naomh Columba defender Paul O’Hare wasn’t dwelling in the history books but holds the regret of not doing themselves justice.

“We know what the big day is about,” he said. “The main thing we’ll be looking for on Sunday, is performance. If the performance is good enough to get us over the line, then it is. If it’s not, then it’s not.

“We’ll be aiming to going out and give a good account of ourselves because it’s something we haven’t done in the last two finals.

“There’s boys there, even going back to 2011 (final defeat to St Naul’s), I don’t think they put on a good show that day either.”

Manager Brendan Doherty has been beating a different drum. It was about looking forward and delivering when it mattered. Sunday is that day.

After a league campaign that left them mid-table in Division Two, Naomh Columba have picked up the pace.

Injuries cleared up and Aaron Doherty returned from the Donegal senior squad. With county u-20 players Shane Callaghan and Alex Cunnea also on board, training began to ramp up.

A 2-18 to 2-7 win over Milford kicked them into gear and they’ve won six games on the bounce.

Victory over Division Two champions Naomh Muire set up a quarter-final against Buncrana who secured a quarter-final spot by the skin of their teeth.

It was proof knock-out football is all on the day. Caolan McGonigle kicked two two-pointers with Kevin Jordan also raising an orange flag to nose Buncrana ahead with one minute to go.

A goal from Padraig Byrne, made by O’Hare himself, was the perfect response as Naomh Columba stepped out of a dark corner.

“We probably looked comfortable enough but we don’t like doing things easy as people like to remind us,” O’Hare said about letting the game slip initially.

“Paddy got the goal and I know they were on top for a while towards the end but I think we deserved the win that day.

“That was a satisfying win because I think other years we might have crumbled under the pressure of that last two-pointer but that was a big battle for us.

“It’s all about Sunday, those games are in the past, Buncrana and Red Hugh’s (semi-final).

“It’s all good and well beating those teams but if we don’t put a performance together on Sunday against a very good Malin team, it’s worth nothing.”

Malin drew two of their games but go into Sunday’s final as the other unbeaten team in the championship.

After drawing with Uisce Chaoin in the group stages, they won the quarter-final meeting of the clubs. There was a two-point win over Buncrana in the group stages.

“Any team that beats that Muff team (Uisce Chaoin) is a good team and they came through a very tough semi-final against Naomh Muire who will be playing in Division One next year.

“Any team that gets to the final is a good team; that’s the bottom line. You can name two or three players but at the end of the day they have two or three players that you mightn’t know that are going to (cause problems), so we have to be ready all over the field.

“There’s a big gap between ourselves and Malin distance-wise but we’ve probably played each other a good bit over the last few years and they’ve always been good battles and I’m sure Sunday is going to be another good battle.”