ON the weekend St. Patrick’s Donagh celebrated their 50th anniversary their Senior team booked their place in the 2021 Junior Championship final.
The Donagh men have enjoyed a successful season already, winning both the Division 2A Club Players’ Competition title and the Division Two league and they will hope to cap it off with a win this Sunday, against Newtownbutler.
A comprehensive 4-10 to 0-12 win against the 2021 Junior Championship finalists Coa earned St. Pat’s a final spot and St Pat’s manager, Paul Hasson, was delighted.
“The club is obviously celebrating a big anniversary this year. It ties in well with everything that is happening around the club at the minute. It is great to be in the showpiece at the end of the season.”
St Pat’s have been in blistering form up front this season, racking up a superb tally of 8-30 over three games. Full forward, Brian McDermott, has been the standout performer for the Donagh men, and hit consecutive hat-tricks against Brookeborough and Coa respectively.
While obviously pleased with the efficiency of his forwards, Hasson pays credit to his entire starting 15 who create the chances for his potent attackers.
“The forwards obviously get the recognition but without the hard work of the defenders and the rest of the players out the field, the forwards wouldn’t get their chances.
“The Eimhin’s [Curran], the Jimmy’s [Tormey], the Briny’s [Brian McDermott] of this world, wouldn’t be getting the scores that they are getting. Overall, you are never quite happy, there are always things to improve on and yesterday we weren’t as clinical in the first half as we would expect. We got there in the end.”
The St Pat’s boss also feels that the marginal victory did not truly depict the tough challenge that they faced from the O’Dwyer’s on Sunday.
“As you know yourself, Coa always give everybody a stern test and yesterday (Sunday) was no different. They were right in it until the very final quarter and probably the two late goals put a bit of a gloss on the scoreboard.
“It wasn’t that reflective because Coa put up a very stern test. We are glad to get over it and we are focusing on the final now.”
Hasson is expecting a difficult assignment from the First Fermanagh’s.
“We haven’t beaten Newtownbutler this year. Any time that they have played us, they have put us to the sword.
“We are under no illusion of the task that lies ahead on Sunday. We are just hoping that we can put up a show and get closer to them than we have been in the past.”