By 
ALL-IRELAND JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL
A REPEAT of their ‘below-par’ showing the last tine out when pushed all the way by unheralded British champions Tara won’t get the job done for Clogher this weekend, captain Conor Shields has warned.
The Eire Ogs take on Kiltimagh of Mayo this Saturday lunchtime aiming to reach the All-Ireland Junior Championship Final for the first time, but a step up in performance levels is being demanded by the skipper.
Having edged past Tara by the minimum margin, Shields cautions that the squad are well aware that they must improve if they are to keep alive their Croke Park dreams this weekend.
“ Coming into the match it was a thankless task. We were playing a team that nobody knows about coming over from England. Outsiders looking in were saying that Clogher should walk over them.
If we won by 30 points it was going to be expected but if you won narrowly you would get criticised so it was a no-win sort of match.
“Maybe other teams will start to question us just beating Tara by a point but they can talk all they want, we know what we have within the group and that performance was absolutely nowhere near good enough. We were below par the last day but we know where we have to get to next time.”
With several key players leaving the fray injured during that draining encounter in Stewartstown, Shields hopes the month long gap to the Kiltimagh meeting will prove beneficial.
“ We had the four week break which is a long period but it allows us to get a few men back which is a plus. Hopefully there will be more back up and running again.
“ We have good depth in the squad and everybody is going to be used. But we will look at what we did wrong and what they did right. It was a long year and that last match was just a case of job done.”
The captain added: “ The longer the year goes on, pitches are heavier and matches tend to be a bit more dogged. You look at our forward line and you see we like to play quick, expansive football but that’s not easy in winter.
“ Not often Clogher play competitive football in winter, it’s a lot different. But we are definitely not complaining about playing big matches in December or early January. I couldn’t think of anything better.”
Conor acknowledges that it is somewhat strange to be preparing for the biggest match in Clogher’s history over the holiday period, when the vast majority of clubs players across the country have their feet up.
“ Years ago you used to watch All-Ireland Club Finals on St Patrick’s Day and think that was a strange time to be peaking for but nowadays it is even earlier in the calendar with the whole fixture restructuring.
“ But we wouldn’t swap places with anyone to be honest. Given the goal is to be play a final at Croke Park it is just unbelievable and you won’t see anyone at Clogher complaining about the date. We will just embrace it.”
