Sludden has his eyes on Edendork

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND

A DROMORE team which endured a tough start to their All-County League campaign before dramatically turning things around with a brilliant winning streak are now in bouyant form ahead of the opening round of the Senior Championship.

While much of the pre-championship talk is about the teams that finished at the summit of the Division One, the team that last captured the title just four years ago undoubtedly have the ability to make a big impact.

Under the management of Eoin McCusker and Paddy Montague, a victory over Trillick in the final game saw them finish in sixth place, on level points with their opponents Edendork. The two meet at Pomeroy on Sunday afternoon at 3.15pm in what should be an intriguing encounter.

Former Tyrone player, Niall Sludden, is now obviously concentrating fully on the club commitments and is looking forward to the tie.

“We seem to be in a better place now after a lot of good games in the league. The league in Tyrone is so ruthless, and we had great battles with Errigal Ciaran, Dungannon and then Trillick in the space of about a week,” he said.

“Those games have been great preparation for the Edendork game, which is going to be a massive challenge for us. They have been putting up some big scores, but in Tyrone the championship is all about what happens on the day.

“You have to embrace and enjoy the championship and prepare as best you can.”

While Dromore haven’t hit the heights of their glorious 2021 season during the intervening years, they remain one of the top teams in the county, and a side more than capable of competing and beating the other top clubs.

It’s a point highlighted by Niall Sludden, who says that they will enter the championship race with confidence.

“We have big belief in ourselves as well, and know what’s within our quad. Our league form was a bit patchy in the opening rounds and then we picked it up again,” he added.

“But we are building well, Edendork are going good also and it’s going to come down to the fine margins and again which team prepares as well as possible and adapts on the day itself.”

Like most clubs in the county, Dromore have been able to concentrate fully on the challenge of championship now that the all-county leagues are finished apart from playoffs.

It’s a policy which has worked well in recent years and one which Niall Sludden welcomes as he enters into yet another senior championship campaign with the club.

“I think it’s brilliant to have the leagues completed, and my view is that a lot of players will feel the same,” he reckons.

“That’s the way to go. The waiting about isn’t good if you’re in the final stages, but the CCC has worked hard to ensure that fixtures are completed.

“Club and county players put their lives on hold, they deserve a break after that and I think the current structure is good.

“We’ll look at Edendork before thinking ahead. I know it’s a cliche but that’s the truth. I know when I was young going to matches and waiting for the open draw at the end. The crowd would be waiting behind and you could just feel the hype and excitement and I think that’s really positive.”