Clogher ready for title showdown

THE equation for Clogher Valley couldn’t be simpler – beat Instonians at Shaws Bridge on Saturday and they will be crowned Ulster Championship Division One champions, lose or draw and their hosts will seal the crown.

While that’s easy to write, it’s harder to achieve and Valley head coach, Stephen Bothwell knows what his players need to do to achieve their aim.

“We couldn’t be asking for better with the weather this week. That should let us handle the ball that wee bit sharper hopefully so we’ll play as much as we can,” he explained.

“We want to run them into the ground, as much as our skills will allow!

“We’re excited for it, I just hope we go well because this is what we’ve been working for all year.”

Having lost just once in the league all season, by a solitary point at home to Instonians earlier in the campaign, Clogher will have to become the first team this year to defeat the table-toppers who are one point clear at the summit.

But while Instonians remain unbeaten in the league, Clogher have shown they know how to win and how to do so when it matters, as they proved during a thrilling late comeback in the All-Ireland Junior Cup final at Kingspan Stadium where they defeated Ballyclare.

And if they could add the Ulster league title, it would give them the chance to qualify for the All-Ireland Leagues, with a match against Newcastle West, who they thumped in the Junior Cup last four, the reward in the play-offs at 3pm in Navan on April 2 for whoever wins on Saturday.

“If we get through we’ll play Newcastle West but they’ll be a different proposition because they had a few boys missing when we last played them,” observed Bothwell, who will also guide his team in the semi-finals of the Ulster Junior Cup at the end of April when they will play either Instonians, City of Armagh II or Ballynahinch II.