GWEEDORE United head for Glasserchoo on Sunday to face Premier Division Glenea United in the Gweedore Area final of the Brian McCormick Cup (kick-off 2pm).
The game sees Brian Gallagher’s side, who operate in Division One of the League, looking to cause an upset at Páirc Joe, where Tom Coll has once again returned to the helm.
The Gweedore men (pictured above) have their designs on working their way back into the top flight once again and got the season off to a perfect start with an area semi-final win over Keadue Rovers.
Ciaran McFadden’s brace was supplemented by strikes from Padraig McFadden and new signing Liam McMullin.
Former Dunlewey Celtic player McMullin is joined at Carrickboyle this season by Michael Barry, whose first outing for his new club will be at Glenea, his former club.
“Michael has been on holiday, but he’ll make his first appearance on Sunday at Glenea as he’s back again,” Gallagher said.
“This is a local derby and it’ll be a tough game against a Premier Division side.
“Glenea are one of the established Premier Division teams. To get playing against them is very good preparation for our own League season and of course it’s an added incentive to win the Area final on Sunday.”
Frank McGee and Gavin McBride will be in GAA Championship action with Gaoth Dobhair on Sunday while goalkeeper Shaun McClafferty – a former Glenea player, who was their hero when they won the Premier Division via a penalty shoot-out against Gweedore Celtic in 2012 – is on duty for Cloughaneely.
Gallagher said: “Our big aim this year is to win promotion. We’re happy with the squad that we have in place. We have a couple of new faces and we’d hope to put in a good challenge.
“We have top-class facilities at Carrickboyle so we want our team playing at the highest level possible.”
Coll is back in charge of Glenea, who needed a nerve-testing penalty shoot-out to see off Gweedore Celtic on Sunday in the semi-final.
It had taken a 91st minute equaliser from Sean Coll for them to earn the spot kicks.
Glenea defeated Glenree United 4-1 in their previous outing on a day when goalkeeper Joe Coll played as a striker with the team short on personnel. The former Manchester United youth scored with Dean Gallagher bagging two and an own goal completing the rout.
Barry has left for Sunday’s opponents while Ryan McFadden has joined Ulster Senior League outfit Bonagee United with Declan McGarvey also going to the intermediate grade, signing for Fanad United.
Paul Sweeney and John Harley are back in tow, but the GAA Championship rules them out on Sunday with Kevin Mulhern, Darren McGeever, Eugene Maguire and Ciaran McGeady also ruled out because of their commitments to Cloughaneely.
From the club’s Saturday League side, Coll has elevated Ryan Lafferty, Gavin Doohan, Shane Coll and Martin Doohan.
“With the numbers we have available, we’ve done ok so far,” the Glenea manager told Donegal Sport Hub.
“We’re aiming to be up there contesting for the League and we’re using the Brian McCormick Cup as a sort of pre-season. We’ve had quite a bit of change in players so we’re just getting settled in.”
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