By 
ALL-IRELAND JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
CROKE Park is where Clogher’s journey towards the heights of club glory will reach its climax next Sunday when their All-Ireland Junior Championship bid continues with what all associated with the Eire Ogs hope is a brilliant finale when they take on the Munster champions Ballymacelligott.
An All-Ireland Final is gradually coming into firm focus for the south Tyrone side, who now must produce one last big display to win their national title. It promises to be a memorable occasion for a team that has grown in confidence throughout this championship season.
Victory over Kiltimagh of Mayo on Saturday earned them a showdown at the GAA headquarters. Joint-manager, Kevin F McConnell, was well aware of the challenge provided by the Connacht champions, and praised the resilience of the players as they prepare for the biggest day in the club’s history.
“You can put plans in place but unless the players go out and execute the plan on the pitch then it doesn’t matter. Every one of the players today was great. We couldn’t have asked for any more from them and it’s great to be in the final,” he said.
“Croke Park and the All-Ireland final wasn’t on the bingo card at all, as they say. Getting back to intermediate football was the target at the start of the year. Then, when we got there, it was about pushing on as far as we could in Ulster and thankfully we’ve come down now to the final day.
“But there’s no point in just turning up now for the day out. We have to go there and try and win it and no doubt whoever we play it’s going to be a tough game now that we’re down to the final two. It is great to be there and we’ll do as well as we can.”
This has been a memorable journey for the whole of the Clogher community. Excitement will approach fever pitch as they prepare for an All-Ireland Final.
The flags and bunting erected in the town will fly proudly as a mass exodus to Dublin takes place next weekend.
But first the management and players will be focusing on the challenge posed by the Kerry champions, who won their semi-final by three points on Saturday. It promises to be a close contest, and one that Clogher are fully intent on winning.
“We have spoken very little about Croke Park before today because we didn’t want any distractions. It would have been disrespectful to Kiltimagh if we had been coming down here thinking about Croke Park and if we had done that then I don’t think we would have got the result we did.
“Now, yes, it’s great to get to Croke Park and it’s great for the players to get the chance to play there. But we are going with the determination to go and win. It is a day out for the rest of the club. For us as players and management, it’s about starting today to prepare of the final. There’s no point heading down there for the day out.”
