The long awaited 2020 Junior Championship final has finally arrived and after a 11 month wait due to Covid postponements, the game has been refixed for Brewster Park this Saturday evening at 7pm.

 

Aiden Gilroy and the Derrylin O’Connell’s have a chance to put the record straight and end their seven year wait for championship glory and the Derrylin boss says his players are ready for a massive battle against Coa

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“It’s great that it is finally here. 

 

“Unfortunately there are not many survivors from the Spanish flu left, so it has been hard to draw on experience to prepare for this! 

“It’s a final so the lads are looking forward to it.”

 

Derrylin are on a strong run of form heading into the championship showpiece. They sit top of the Division Two table, unbeaten in five games, averaging 21 points per game and have racked up 10-57 in just four games.

 

Aiden Gilroy has certainly found a winning formula in the early part of this season but he laments the unavailability of some of his younger players for the final, namely Michal Prusaiciweicz, Joe Lunney and the Owens brothers, Padraic and Diarmuid.

 

“A number of the lads who have helped us start reasonably well in the league are ineligible for the final, so we can’t read too much into the league. 

 

“It’s a championship final and form goes out the window. The lads are working very hard and we are going into the game very excited for the challenge.”

 

Standing in the way of Derrylin and Junior Championship glory is Coa O’Dwyers, a vastly experienced team with plenty of championship pedigree and experience.

 

Gilroy insists that neither he nor his players will be taking the O’Dwyers for granted this weekend.

 

“Coa represent a very difficult task for us. Like ourselves, they are showing a lot of progress both on and off the pitch and wining a Junior Championship can only enhance that.