Buoyant Aughavas look to make the most of home comforts against Carna Caiseal

Aughavas had one primary job this year - win the  Junior A title to earn their place back in next year's Intermediate Championship. Now that they've done, they're in bonus territory that starts next Sunday with the visit of Carna Caiseal for the AIB Connacht Club Junior Championship Semi Final in Ballinamore's Pairc Sheain Ui Eslin (1.30 throw-in).

Winning the Leitrim title was the main target for 2025 but Aughavas have gone several steps further, winning their way to Division 1 of the All County League and charging through the Junior Championship with a style and panache that marks them out.

They now come up against Galway's Carna Caiseal with a place in the Connacht Final at stake, an achievement that would be an enormous boost for a young Aughavas side that now face into a game where, probably for the first time in this year's championship, where they won't start as favourites.

That's not because they aren't good enough to make an impact in Connacht but mainly because we don't know what we will get from Galway opposition, or indeed any other county in this grade so it is something of a journey into the unknown.

Carna Caiseal certainly face a journey, the Gaeltacht club closer to Clifden and Roundstone than Galway city so the three hour plus trip to Ballinamore next Sunday  is sure to be a taxing one but that won't phase them.

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Carna won their way to Connacht by defeating Williamstown in the Galway Primary Junior A Final, a late two pointer from Dara O Conchubair forcing extra-time on October 25, before going on to win 2-15 to 1-15 after the bonus periods.

A week later, they then took on Claregalway's second team in the Junior Final, losing out 2-13 to 1-20 but this was against a Claregalway side that are an emerging force in Galway with a huge pick compared to Carna's most modest population.

Carna have come through some tough battles, beating Fr Griffin's Eire Og in the semi-final 2-14 to 2-14 after losing to them in the group stages so it is fair to say that they are battle hardened at this stage.

Aughavas' neighbours Carrigallen lost out to Clifden three years ago in Galway and Leitrim's teams in this grade have generally put up a good show against Galway teams over the years and Aughavas will attack this game with same fervour that they have all year.

Of Leitrim's football champions, Aughavas are the only ones to enjoy home advantage and they'll want to make the most of it - a partisan crowd and Carna Caiseal's long journey is an obvious boost to their chances as they seek to become only the second Leitrim club team to reach a Connacht Junior Final.

That may be offset by the loss of Adrian Shortt who received a red card in the County Final and Aughavas will certainly miss his physical presence and ball winning ability at full-forward, the burden shifting to his brother Darren and Joey McBrien.

Eanna McNamara will be well watched by the Galway men but if he catches fire, the Leitrim star could do a lot of damage for the Leitrim champions, his pace with the ball a particularly potent weapon.

What really impresses about Aughavas is their workrate - Gabriel Keoghan will have his homework done on Carna Caiseal who have been running up big totals in most of their matches and the way Aughavas shut down both Aughnasheelin & Drumreilly in the knockout stages suggests they'll be hard breached.

The unknown question is whether Aughavas' ambitions will be sated by their Leitrim triumph? If not and they deliver a big performance, they have the chance to reach a Connacht Junior Final, a feat only Eslin have previously achieved. 

It really is all to play for and if they get the bit between their teeth, with the fearlessness of youth, Aughavas could cause a sensation on Sunday.