Minor Preview: Dublin v Donegal, Sunday, 1.30pm

Sunday, August 31

Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship Semi-FinalDublin v Donegal, Croke Park, 1.30pm (Live on TG4)

Though it is 'only' a semi-final, for the minor footballers of Dublin and Donegal, Sunday's meeting at Croke Park is the biggest game of their young lives. Not only will most of them get to play at GAA Headquarters for the first time , the game is live on TG4 and they will share the stage with their counties' senior teams, whose semi-final meeting two hours later will ensure a bumper crowd for the curtain-raiser.

Both sides have been in excellent form this year and it is almost impossible to separate them at this stage. Donegal swept to their first Ulster title since 2006 in July, having won the Ulster Minor League earlier in the season, with impressive wins over Derry (1-10 to 0-8), Antrim (2-19 to 1-10) and then Armagh (2-12 to 0-10) in the final.

Their All-Ireland quarter-final win over Roscommon (0-10 to 1-5), on a miserable day in Markievicz Park, was the only time this year Declan Bonner's charges have experienced any form of turbulence. In the end, though, having led by 0-5 to 0-4 at the break, Donegal hit five without reply in the second half before Roscommon hit back with a 48th minute goal to make life difficult for the Ulster champions.

Bundoran's Jamie Brennan has been Donegal's most potent attacking force in the competition to date, scoring 3-7 over the course of the campaign, while Lorcán Connor has knocked over 0-14 from centre-forward. It's a particularly auspicious occasion for the Gaoth Dobhair club, who have five representatives involved - Ciarán Gillespie, Cian Mulligan, Micheál Carroll, Niall Friel and Gavin McBride.

Bonner, who managed the Gaoth Dobhair to the Donegal SFC title in 2006, has been with this group for the last three years, nursing them through the grades from U16 level, and he has spoken this week of the importance that continuity has played in their development.

"A lot of hard work has gone into this group and we have already set out our goals in three stages. Winning the Ulster minor league was the first start, winning the Ulster championship was the second stage, and now this is the ultimate," Bonner said. "But it is a challenge that we are really looking forward to and the lads are in a really good place."

Dublin's path to a 32nd provincial title was similarly serene, with wins over Longford (2-11 to 0-14), Meath (0-15 to 0-12) and Offaly (6-13 to 0-6) setting up a final meeting with reigning champions Kildare at Croke Park. Dublin captain Con O'Callaghan delivered a devastating performance in the final, hitting 1-6 before lifting the provincial title afterwards for good measure.

Cyril Kevlihan's charges faced Cork in the quarter-final at Semple Stadium on the August Bank Holiday Monday and O'Callaghan was in supreme form again, but it was his colleague in the inside forward line, Chris Sallier, who did the real damage with a brace of goals to down the Rebels on a final scoreline of 2-14 to 1-13.

Cuala's O'Callaghan, who also lined out for the county's minor hurlers this summer along with Eoghan McHugh and Rian McBride, has amassed a remarkable 4-29 in the campaign, while Sallier has hit 4-5 in just four games. Centre-forward Colm Basquel from Ballyboden is another player worth keeping an eye on.

When the sides met in a challenge game two months ago in Cavan, the game ended in a draw, while they have also clashed at U16 and U17 level over the last two years and both were very close encounters. As a result, Dublin manager Cyril Kevlihan says he is keenly aware of Donegal's qualities.

"They have had a great year and the manner in which they came through Ulster was very impressive," Kevilhan says. "We know that they play a certain way and they are very comfortable in playing in that manner but that is something that we will need to work on.

"We are very much looking forward to the match and as we always do, we will just focus and concentrate on our own game and make sure that we are fully prepared for such a big match."

Donegal haven't reached the semi-finals since 2006, when they were beaten by Kerry, and, quite remarkably given they have won two All-Ireland titles in each of the senior and U21 grades, they have never even contested an All-Ireland final at U18 level. Dublin were the All-Ireland champions as recently as 2012 and have 11 titles in total.

The winners play Kerry in the All-Ireland final on September 21.

---

Preview: Brian Murphy