2017 final loss still rankles with Clogher’s McConnell

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

THE bitter taste of Championship Final defeat is not a sensation that Clogher attacker Marc McConnell want to experience again.

The talented Eire Ogs man has been a mainstay of their forward unit for near on a decade now, producing the goods week in week out for the maroon and whites.

However one of the low points in his playing career came in the 2017 Junior Championship Final when Clogher fell to a 2-11 to 2-4 loss to Tattyreagh, despite goals that afternoon from McConnell himself and Sean McCaffrey.

Eight years down the line and several members of that squad are still playing integral roles in Clogher’s latest bid to land the Pat Darcy Cup, though an influx of exciting young recruits has also fortified their ranks over the intervening period.

In the countdown to their clash with Drumragh this Saturday evening, Marc reflects back ruefully on that painful reversal to the Tatts in their previous Final appearance.

“ You never forget it. I know we got promoted the following year but when you are in a Championship Final you always want to win it and to get promoted that way. We just didn’t do ourselves justice that day so hopefully this time around it goes much better for us.”

Clogher have barely got out of second gear in sweeping through to the 20025 showdown with the Sarsfields, registering winning margins in double figures in each of their three outings. They spluttered somewhat to hit their straps in the first half of the quarter-final against Clann na Gael, but were much more fluent and cohesion in dispatching with Strabane in the semi-final at Garvaghey.

McConnell was pleased with the vast improvements demonstrated in that clash, with Conor Shields turning in a true captain’s role, and Ciaran Bogue running amok up front.

“ We were keen to forget about that last game (Clann na nGael), especially the first half. I think it was our worst performance all year. In the second half we improved but the Strabane match was a hundred times better which was needed.

“ In the first half we were very good, albeit we conceded a few sloppy goals.

“We were playing against the wind in the second half which made shooting difficult but we still controlled things pretty well and won by ten in the end which we had to be pleased with.

“ We had a few young boys came on off the bench and they were unbelievable for us. They can only benefit from that sort of experience playing in a semi-final and they galvanised us a bit too. Hopefully that will benefit them looking ahead to the final.”

Clogher would have already been guaranteed promotion to Intermediate football next season if Coosktown had been their final opponents this weekend but McConnell discounts the notion that this could have impacted their motivation for Saturday’s encounter.

“ We were not thinking about that whoever won between them and Drumragh.

“Yes it would have been a nice fall back if things don’t go to plan but we will be going all out to win it anyway

“ We know all about each other having played a couple of times this year in the league and in the past few seasons too. There was little margin in both games- just a kick of the ball. I’d say it will be just as tight again in the final and hopefully go our way.”