By 
ALL-IRELAND JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
KEVIN F McConnell insists it would be a disservice to their London opposition Tara to imply that Clogher perhaps lacked motivation for their narrow one point victory on Saturday night in Stewartstown.
The reigning Tyrone and Ulster Junior champions just about saw the job through to set up a meeting with Kiltimagh of Mayo in the All-Ireland semi-final on Sunday January 4, Sean Bogue steering over the winning score in the 67th minute to guide Clogher across the winning line on a 2-11 to 1-13 scoreline.
This Ulster Twinning Final doubled up as an All-Ireland Junior quarter-final and represented a potential banana skin for the Eire Ogs after their provincial heroics of recent weeks.
Joint manager Kevin F McConnell maintained though that they had been fully primed for a stern test from the British champions and that is exactly what they got.
“I wouldn’t like to say motivation was a problem. The motivation was to move on through an All-Ireland series where we haven’t been before.
“I wouldn’t like to use an excuse for it being such a tight game. I think credit has to go to Tara and the performance they put in. It took our guys to give everything they had to get over the line.
“If people say we took it for granted, that definitely wasn’t the case. They fought for every ball showed plenty of skill too. We knew they had some very good players. We watched a couple of videos of them.
“They put in a mighty effort and they are no doubt going to be gutted in that changing room. Thankfully for us it went our way and we had our noses in front at the end.”
It was a victory which came at a price for Clogher with several key player picking up injuries, among the most serious centre-half back Matty Callaghan who was stretchered off in the closing stages.
McConnell admits that the four week break now comes at just the right time for the squad.
“We had a few injuries and knocks which is unfortunate but at least we have a few weeks before the semi-final. We have plenty of character and relied on youth on our bench this evening. It was great to bring in fresh legs as people were getting tired.”
The joint manager also joked that the squad would be happy enough to indulge in a bit less of the Christmas festivities given the huge fixture looming on the horizon early in the new year.
“We will now draw a line under 2025 but it will always be a special year for us and for the whole club. It’s nice now to have a chance to carry it into 2026. The focus now will be totally on Kiltimagh and see where that takes us.
“I think if you had offered that chance to these lads on January 4 this year to play in an All-Ireland semi-final on January 4 next year, they would have been happy enough to take it. We are delighted to be there and we will manage one Christmas with a bit less of the niceties okay.”