Tummery Athletic manager Benny McElholm knows what it takes to win the Mulhern Cup as a player having lifted it three times with Strathroy Harps and on Friday night he is hoping for his first taste of success in the competition as a manager.
The Dromore side will face Enniskillen Town at Ferney Park to battle it out for the honours and McElholm is looking forward to his first final as a manager.
“It’s completely different, it’s something I enjoy too but there is so much more to take on board in terms of team selection and the opposition but at the end of it we all want to win and everybody at the club is looking forward to it.
“It’s two good cup teams with a bit of history between them down through the years and hopefully it will be a good game on Friday night,” he said.
Tummery’s last cup success came in 2006 but since then they have been on the wrong end of the result in four finals, including two at the hands of Town, and they will be keen to rectify that this Friday night.
And McElholm feels that he has a good blend in his squad as they look to come out on top at Ferney Park.
“We have players in the dressing room who have won a few medals down through the years and we have players in the dressing room who haven’t got a medal and have been beaten in a few finals against the Town. 
“There is a good blend and a mix there of experience and players who are hungry to win medals and that’s a nice wee blend to have,” he said.
Indeed, McElholm has within in his ranks a number of players who have won the Mulhern Cup with Town and in fact as a Strathroy player he lost a final to a Town team back in 2008 that included Cathal and Ciaran Beacom, who are now with Athletic. 
With Ryan Hanna, who has been a cup hero for Town on a number of occasions also now at Tummery, it could being an added spice to the final.
“The two league games we have played against them this year would have had added spice because of the ex-players and maybe it will motivate them a bit more but it is not something we are reading too much into. 
“We are just looking after ourselves and I know if we perform well then we won’t be far away from it because we have match winners in the team and a lot of quality,” added McElholm.
Hanna in particular has a knack of popping up with goals in Mulhern Cup finals, which Town will know only too well. 
The midfielder scored for Town in their wins over Tummery in both the 2012 and 2013 finals while he scored both goals for Town in the 2-1 final victory over Beragh in 2014.
“I suppose if you look at Ryan he has produced the goods down through the years. Since he came to the club he has been absolutely brilliant, his attitude is great and with regards this season in the Mulhern he has popped up with some crucial goals for us. 
“He came up with goals that matter, in the first round against Beragh we were looking defeat firmly in the face and he came up with the goods. He has been a vital component of our team and hopefully that continues on Friday night and he will have a big say on the game,” stated the Tummery boss.
McElholm is expecting a tough encounter on Friday night but he is confident that his side have what it takes to come out on top if they perform.
“Things have usually been tight and tense and there’s probably not a pile of love lost between the teams but deep down there is a lot of respect for each other.
“I’ve been highlighting to the players all week that nobody remembers the losers and that’s the attitude we will be going into the game with, it is all about getting your hands on that cup. It doesn’t matter what way you do it, it is all about winning.
“From our point of view, we had a good semi-final performance against Lisbellaw but I believe this will be a another step up. 
“It is going to take a lot of character but we also have a lot of quality in the final third and hopefully those players will step up. I believe that if we can take our chances when we get them it will make the difference,” he concluded.