McShea's Say: County finals are something you will never forget

County finals represent the collision of wills. They are two teams fighting for the same thing and have to cause somebody pain in order to get it.  

I am not aware of anyone who would have predicted a Dungloe v Eunan's county final. The Letterkenny side was expected to give this championship a real rattle, but the Rosses men emerged as surprise finalists after their narrow victory last Sunday against St Michael's. 

I love county finals. In fact, I have a particular grá for them. It’s parish against parish. On Sunday week, we will see families and communities pouring colourfully into the stands in support of sons of the locality, hearts swelling with pride in their jerseys.

It will feel tribal. Both sets of players will feel the honour of playing in the final for their club, the honour they feel at representing their people. This honour can come with a weight of expectation, a pressure to do well, to not let anyone down.  

When I played, I was lucky enough to play in 10 county finals (we missed out on one final that was never played because of a dispute about the venue), and I loved playing in all those matches.  

The seven finals that we won are not the games we remember; they were the three finals that we lost. But finals are not only about winning or losing. They are about facing your fears. 

In the lead-up to this final, the Dungloe team will ask themselves serious questions. Am I good enough? Can we carry the weight of expectation held by our army of fervent supporters, ravenous for success after decades of deprivation? Can we empty the tank, play without shackles, and do everything to prevail? Can we have the courage to pick ourselves up and go again after the inevitable errors we may make?  

For the next week and a half, Dungloe manager Dessie Gallagher will be tasked with guiding his squad through all of those issues.  

Dessie's father-in-law, Fred Sweeney, played for Dungloe in the county final in 1964. Fred was a very good player and a gentleman both on and off the pitch and he would have loved to have been able to see his club play on Sunday week.  

Dungloe must not play it safe or accept the role of gallant challengers. They will have to go for it. They must really believe and act in line with that belief. They cannot be half-hearted, with a "think we can but we will hope for the best" approach. 

This year, St Eunan seems to have had the luxury of making lots of personnel changes from game to game, but is that luxury or an indication of struggling to consistently put the best available 15 on the park?  

It does mean that a number of their squad will be left alone with their thoughts on the evening their team is announced.  

There are always about 10 players who must hear this news before big games - players who are asked to put a brave face on it for the sake of the team. These players are willing to devote their time for little reward, but they deserve the same respect as the first name on the team sheet.  

No doubt, in many cases, exclusion breeds resentment. It is very difficult for players to grapple with the disappointment of not making the first 15 for a county final. It is not just about the player's disappointment or his ego. It is about the phone call to the parents, who also try to mask their own disappointment, even though they have been waiting for this day since they first drove their son to training as a child. 

No doubt the fact that Eunan's only scored three points in the second half of their quarter-final win against Naomh Conaill, and scored only three against Gaoth Dobhair in the second half last Saturday, will be a major concern.  

Against Gaoth Dobhair, their eight-point total over the 60-plus minutes played saw them score only three times from open play, five of their eight points coming from placed balls.  

Those disappointing statistics will be the subject of much discussion at team meetings in Letterkenny over the next few days.  

The lack of scoring in the modern game is disappointing and does not make for attractive football, but I was reminded recently of a score in an Ulster Club semi-final replay back in 1993 when an Errigal Ciarán’s team that included Peter Canavan, beat Donegal champions Kilcar on a scoreline of Errigal Ciarán 0-5 to 0-3 points to the Tyrone side. 

Club football is a huge part of every player's life, where team spirit is special and helps one to mature from a child to an adult. The friendships developed at club level are unique and special, creating a camaraderie that lasts a lifetime.  

While much has changed over the years in the GAA, the club will always be at the centre of the association, and that is what makes it unique.