Sarsfields Shane slotting into new role as manager

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL PREVIEW

SHANE Cleary desperately hopes that three proves to be the magic number for Drumragh.

A former star attacker, now turned manager, he is yearning for a much better outcome in Saturday’s Junior Championship Final than that he experienced on those two previous occasions.

Shane lined out up front as the Sarsfields were defeated in the 2020 decider by Kildress and then two years ago suffered a double blow in the showdown with Fintona. Not only did they lose the match narrowly after extra-time but Cleary ruptured his ACL in the game, a serious injury which effectively ended his illustrious playing career in the green and white colours.

In his first season steering their fortunes from the sidelines, Shane admits that donning the manager’s cap presents its own unique challenges.

“ You try and get all your preparations done before the game and plan out potential scenarios that can play out during games. The one big difference obviously is that once the whistle is blown and the ball thrown up, it is over to the players.

“ There is nothing I can any longer contribute on the pitch. So it is probably a more difficult place to be as you can do something about it when you are out there. You are just trusting that the preparation work pays off.”

To say the Sarsfields had to dig deep to make this weekend’s Junior showdown with Clogher would be something of an understatement. They were embroiled in two epic semi-final tussles with league champions Cookstown, surrendering significant leads in both contests.

However they were not going to be deterred, even seeing their healthy cushion on the scoreboard twindlle away, and inspired by the likes of the evergreen (pardon the pun) Gareth Haughey and inspiring young captain Niall McCarney they found a way to prevail.

Cleary was delighted at the character and fortitude they displayed in such physically and mentally taxing circumstances to see them emerge successful.

“ The last few matches have definitely provided a test of character at different stages but I am so proud of the boys for finding a way. To be seven points up on Tuesday night and eight points up here with five minutes to go and then to be four points down going into the second half of extra time, to dig that out was special.”

He added: “You have to give credit to Cookstown because they kept coming back at us. They are deserving league champions so for our boys to dig that out you couldn’t ask for any more. They gave everything they had in their bodies and thankfully it was enough.”

There was several walking wounded hobbling around the changing rooms at Killyclogher in the aftermath of Saturday’s replay but Shane wasn’t looking for any sympathy in regard to the quick turnaround now for the final.

“ It is just about trying to get the bodies recovered and we will quickly have to focus on Clogher and what they will come with. We don’t have much time for that but we will just try and get in a couple of sessions.

“ Physically we train so hard and everything asked of the boys they do. When we came in at the start of the year we said at the end of the season boys you want to be able to look around the dressing room and say I gave absolutely everything.

“ So there’s no excuses. We will just have to go at it and give everything we have. It’s our third final in six years and we have already lost two. We know that just getting there doesn’t really mean much if you don’t go all the way. We will do everything we can to try and get over the line this time.”

While clearly proud of the impact of the whole squad, the manager reserved special mention for the impact of the captain, whose black card loss in the closing minutes on Saturday signalled a massive momentum shift in Cookstown’s favour.

“ Niall is only 19 or 20 years of age. He is our captain and I know he was probably disappointed not to be in the Tyrone Under-20s this year. He has used that as fuel to drive himself on.”

Another sidebar aspect which is now a factor with the demise of Cookstown is that Clogher have not secured automatic promotion to Intermediate football prior to Saturday’s Final. Cleary feels that this only adds to the significance of the clash at Healy Park.

“ It’s now winner takes all but we have got the opportunity so we have to try and take it. The whole talk among the media and general public was about Cookstown and Clogher. But we didn’t feel disrespected. You have to earn respect but we have been in two finals in recent times so we always felt coming in we were in with a shout.

“ We have reached the final and put out one of the so-called big teams out but we still have another massive task to deal with in Clogher.”