Donegal:
1. Lorcan Connor
CONNOR IS A graduate from the Donegal team that contested last year’s All-Ireland minor final against Kerry. And the blood-line is strong as Lorcan’s father Kevin ‘Cookie’ Gallagher won an Ulster minor title in 1991, while uncle John Connor also lined out for the county’s minors in the early 90s.
Connor’s two goals were vital in Donegal’s Ulster U21 semi-final victory over Monaghan. The Downings clubman has already fulfilled his ambition of stepping up to the U21 ranks and he’s also targeting a successful senior career in the years to come.
2. Ciaran Thompson
When the dust settles on this year’s U21 competition, Ciaran Thompson could well have made one of the most influential contributions. Because it was the Naomh Conaill man who set up the priceless winning goal scored by Ryan McHugh in Donegal’s Ulster quarter-final victory over Cavan.
Thompson went on to score 1-2 in Donegal’s comfortable semi-final victory over Monaghan and he will be desperate to atone for last year’s final defeat to Cavan.
3. Ryan McHugh
McHugh is the 2014 Young Footballer of the year whose amazing rise to fame continues apace. In the Ulster quarter-final victory over Cavan, captain McHugh scored a late winning goal having earlier had a penalty saved by Breffni netminder Mark Fagan.
McHugh famously announced himself on the national stage with those two goals against Dublin in last year’s All-Ireland senior semi-final. And McHugh helped Donegal to last Sunday’s crucial draw with Mayo, as the Ulster champions booked their place in the Division 1 Allianz Football League semi-finals.
Tyrone:
1. Sean Fox
Highly-rated goalkeeper Sean Fox has already tasted senior League action this year, having come on as sub against Donegal when Niall Morgan was injured. And Fox has already shown his pedigree in the U21 campaign, pulling off one memorable save against Armagh in the recent semi-final to keep out Ryan McShane’s fierce drive.
Ex-Omagh CBS MacRory cup netminder Fox is a former Ulster Colleges Allstar and he was goalkeeper for the Tyrone minors in their march to the 2013 All-Ireland final.
2. Lee Brennan
Last year, Lee Brennan made history when he became only the second ever player to pick up three consecutive Ulster Colleges Allstar awards – and the first to claim all three in the same position. The Trillick man is another survivor from the 2013 Tyrone minor vintage and he scored 0-4 against Mayo on that occasion, including three frees.
Brennan’s brother Rory captained the St Michael’s (Enniskillen) team that contested the 2012 Hogan Cup final, before Lee himself went on to skipper his school team. Brennan has also had soccer trials with Everton and Preston.
3. Kieran McGeary
Attacking half-back McGeary scored two points against Armagh in the Ulster semi-final before he was sent off late on for a second yellow card. The Pomeroy player was man of the match in the 2012 Ulster minor football final victory over Monaghan and he was also the star player for Holy Trinity Cookstown when they defeated Tyrone rivals Ballygawley in the 2013 Ulster Bank Markey Cup final.
Tyrone’s U21 captain McGeary has a habit of producing big performances in big games and Tyrone will need him at his best in the final at Celtic Park.
