Hurt from last year driving St Eunan’s star Winston on

By Matthew Wilson

ORAN Winston says the hurt of last season’s early championship exit is driving St Eunan’s as they prepare to challenge Naomh Conaill for the Dr Maguire Cup.

The Letterkenny side will take to the field at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey on Sunday, aiming to reclaim the Donegal Senior Football Championship title.

St Eunan’s suffered an early exit last season, losing to Termon in the preliminary quarter-finals, and Winston admitted that disappointment remains a motivating factor within the squad.

“It is driving us on, there is a lot of hurt there from last year. It’s an early stage to go out, we’re not used to that and we weren’t happy with it. We want to push on, be the best version of ourselves and that hurt probably is in the back of all of our heads and driving us on that extra bit.”

St Eunan’s have responded by booking their place in this year’s decider, overcoming Gaoth Dobhair by two points in the semi-final just shy of two weeks ago.

The O’Donnell Park men made a blistering start, building an 11-point lead before the Magheragallon outfit mounted a spirited comeback to bring themselves back into contention.

St Eunan’s ultimately held on to secure their place in the final, but Winston acknowledged the challenge posed by their opponents.

“It was a real battle which we expected from Gaoth Dobhair, they have serious pedigree. When you look at Gaoth Dobhair, they come back time and time again.

“It showed in the second half that they have serious pedigree about them.”

One of the positives for St Eunan’s was the spread of their scoring, with nine different players getting on the scoresheet in the semi-final. Winston contributed two points from play.

While the Letterkenny side possess considerable firepower in their forward line, their ability to get scores from across the team provides another dimension to their attack.

Winston believes that spreading the scoring responsibility is crucial if St Eunan’s are to challenge for the title.

“It’s something that we would aim for, you want as many scorers coming from throughout the team as you can get.

“You don’t want to have to rely on the likes of Shane, Eoin McGeehin and Conor O’Donnell Jnr to do the scoring for you because you become predictable.

“You need threats from all over the pitch and in fairness, I think we have shown that we’re more than capable of bringing that.”

Strength in depth

Manager Kieran Donnelly also has considerable strength in depth at his disposal, with players who gained valuable senior football experience during the league campaign adding to his options.

Niall O’Donnell and James Kelly were among those called upon in the semi-final victory over Gaoth Dobhair, with both helping St Eunan’s get over the line.

The pair have been involved in the club’s squads for some of the biggest occasions in recent years, while the quality of the players who remained unused in the semi-final further underlined the depth available to Donnelly.

Winston believes that competition for places will be vital as St Eunan’s look to finish the season with silverware.

“Exactly, that’s the competition you need. If you want to be successful then you need competition for places.

“When you look at the pedigree of the boys coming in from the bench, they need no introduction.

“Niall O’Donnell is an intercounty footballer, James Kelly has been at the well for us for years. The boys coming in from the bench make a huge difference.”

St Eunan’s will now turn their attention to a Naomh Conaill side seeking to defend the title they won 12 months ago.

The sides last met in a championship final in 2022, when Naomh Conaill prevailed, having lost to St Eunan’s in the 2021 decider.

St Eunan’s lifted the Dr Maguire Cup in 2024 and will be determined to add another title to their collection, while Naomh Conaill will be eager to retain the crown they claimed last season.