Four Masters minors aiming to remain top of the pile against Buncrana

Four Masters are chasing back-to-back Division 1 MFC titles this Saturday when they face Buncrana, at the Donegal Training Centre, in Convoy. (throw-in, 3pm).

The Donegal Town lads captured a second MFC crown in three years with a 3-10 to 2-6 win over the Michael Murphy managed Glenswilly in last season's final.

Kevin Muldoon and Conor McCahill scored two of the goals and RuairI McLaughlin chipped in with the other three-pointer in that game.

Muldoon and McCahill along with Terence McGovern, Callum McCrea, Daniel McGinty and Theo Colhoun are all survivors from last year’s team.

Greg Doherty and Odie McBride have taken over the management of this year's team and have guided them back to the penultimate hurdle once more.

“Myself and Odie have been working with this group of lads since they were U-8 and we have won the U-13 and U-15 championships with them and now we are back in the minor final,” said Greg Doherty.

“They are a very talented group of footballers and it has been more or less the same team right through since they won the U-13.

“Terence, Callum, Conor, Daniel and Lewis McCaughan were all in this year's Donegal minor squad.”

When it comes to Saturday’s opponents, Four Masters are both forewarned and forearmed after Buncrana beat them well in the Division 1 league final back in June.

“I know we beat them in the earlier stages in the league but they then beat us well in the league final. They are a good side and we are definitely well aware of what’s coming our way at the weekend.”

Four Masters topped their group section in the championship, unbeaten. They then defeated Glenswilly in the quarter-final before recording a runaway 4-10 to 1-8 win over Gaoth Dobhair in the last four.

Buncrana minors, who take on Four Masters in the Division 1 decider

Buncrana defeated a fancied Naomh Conaill away in the quarter-finals and St Eunan’s in the semi-final.

“They were two huge wins for us given that we had lost to both Naomh Conaill and St Eunan’s in the league,” said boss Marty Coyle. “There is a great buzz about Buncrana this week and around the squad.

“We are really looking forward to the final though we know we are coming up against a very strong Four Masters side. They are the reigning champions so it’s going to take a huge effort from our lads.

“We played Naomh Conaill in the quarter-final in Glenties and a big moment in that game was a first-half penalty save by our goalkeeper Darragh McColgan.

“We were two points down at the time and facing the prospect of going five down. But Darragh pulled off a brilliant save. It was a match winner and we came away from Glenties with a one-point win.

“And against St Eunan’s, in the semi-final in Ballybofey, Darragh was again the hero when he kicked the winning point from a ‘45 deep in injury time to win by one point.”

Four Masters squad: Aidan Quinn, Alan McHugh, Callum Maskery, Callum McCrea, Calum Dunnion, Cian Gavigan, Conor McCahill, Daniel McGinty, Darragh Griffin, Eoghan O’Neill, Fintan Quinn, Jack Glapa, Jake Quinn, Kevin Muldoon, Lee McNamee, Lewis McCaughan, Niall Feeney, Oisin Doherty, Patrick McGonagle, Terence McGovern, Theo Colhoun, Tomas Carr, Tiarnan McBride, Turlough Carr.

Buncrana squad: Oran Doherty; Shay Deeney, Elliott Friel, Devin McCarron, Jack Gill, PJ Doherty, Shay Coyle, Stiofan McGonigle, David Shaw, Jack Guilfoyle, Jack McDaid, Dylan Mulholland, Kieran McNulty, Stephen McNulty, Daire McColgan, Padraig, McGonigle, Fionnain Gill, Killian Doherty, Rory Nee, Darragh McDaid, Donal O’Brien, Billy Duffy, Andrew Davison, Aaron Cleary, Brendan Sharkey.