Newtownbutler are the last Fermanagh club standing in 2016 as they prepare for an Ulster Junior Championship semi final clash against Tyrone club Rock on Sunday. The game takes place in Clones with a 2:30pm throw in time and First Fermanagh’s boss, Vinny Connolly, conceded that the venue could well be an advantage for his team;
“Well, we haven’t far to go that is for sure and we were chatting about it the other night and definitely it is a bonus to have the game in Clones.”
Rock are going for their third Ulster Junior title in nine years and are driven on by three time All Ireland winner Ciaran Gourley. They have struggled to get a foothold at Intermediate level but slipping down to Junior level seems to cause them to find another few gears.
And those gears were in evidence in their quarter final clash against Cornafean of Cavan as the Tyrone men swept to a comfortable win scoring four goals in the process.
Newtownbutler meanwhile also enjoyed an impressive win in their quarter final when they saw of Drumgath of Down with plenty to spare and Connolly reveals that the win has provided a real spring in the step among the Newtownbutler players;
“It was a very good win and the spirit and buzz around the squad has been great since then. Things have been going well and everyone is really looking froward to the game now on Sunday.”
The victory over Drumgath was a complete team performance with top class operators all over the pitch while the substitutes also played a big part;
“I have to hand it to the subs who came on, they really played very well and they made a real change when they came on;” Connolly stated.
One sub who must be very close to a starting position is Conor Beggan who scored two points and won a host of possession when introduced in the last 15 minutes. Beggan will be looking for a place on an already very potent forward line where James Connolly has been excelling of late. 
Brendan McBrien rolled back the years against Drumgath while Frank Mulligan remains dangerous too.
Ryan Carson in the middle of the field has been more influential with each passing game and Newtownbutler will likely need James Maguire alongside Carson to keep a close eye on Gourley in the middle of the field.
Conor McCreesh and Aidan McGarrity are other top performers for the Tyrone champions with their manager, Adrian Nugent, stating in the press that the team feel they ‘are playing intermediate football in a junior competition.’
The Rock won the Ulster Junior Championship in both 2007 and 2014 and are certainly an experienced outfit at this level and while Connolly agreed that their opponents will be fancied by many he said that there is no fear in the First Fermanagh’s;
“They are going to be big favourites, they have won a few Ulsters at this level and they know what they are doing but I think we have been improving as well. Things are going well and the boys have been getting better. Colm (Monahan) and Clive (Fitzpatrick) in the backroom have been brilliant with the training and we really are looking forward to it.”
The game is well poised and wile the Rock might be the bookies favourites Newtownbutler are a dangerous team. They have a lot of experience in their ranks and a lot of players who can be match winners in their own right. There could well be a shock on the cards in Clones on Sunday.