Enniskillen Rangers player-manager Michael Kerr says that they will be going to Ferney Park on Saturday with the sole intention of retaining the Junior Cup.

It has been a protracted saga ever since Rangers lost their semi-final to Bessbrook United before being re-instated after their conquerors were adjudged to have played an ineligible player.

But with appeals now out of the way and the final fixed for Saturday, winning is all that is on Kerr’s mind.

“It has not been a pleasant scenario for anybody but it is the same for both sides and it is just a matter of getting the head focused on the game now and fully focusing on what is going to happen on the day. We all play football because we enjoy it and we have a chance to win a cup final and that’s what we intend to try and do.

“It is the biggest competition at our level, junior football, and you want to go and do your best to win it. Look, the last few weeks haven’t been pleasant and from our point of view we were beaten in the semi-final and then got re-instated and then we had to wait for the game, not knowing when it would be played.

“We know now though that the game is on Saturday and we are going there to win it,” he stated.

Preparations for both sides have been far from ideal but speaking on Tuesday Kerr said that they would get back to the training pitch a couple of times this week to get ready.

“We are meeting up tonight (Tuesday) which will be the first time we have met up in a few weeks. The boys have had a bit of a break and hopefully they will have the mentality that we are one win away from becoming three in a row Junior Cup champions.”

Indeed, he hopes the break might have refreshed the players after a long season.

“At the end of the season boys we tired and they be ready for a break so hopefully it works out like that, that they boys come in fresh.

“Look, you can’t expect them to be flying because we haven’t done much but hopefully tonight we can get the rustiness out of the legs and get a bit of energy back into the body and on Thursday then do a few bits and pieces with regards Saturday,” he added.

The game was originally scheduled for the National Stadium at Windsor Park but with the ground closed for maintenance it has been moved to Ferney Park and Kerr expects a large local crowd.

“The pitch at Ferney Park is every bit as good as Windsor Park albeit without the stadium around it.

“I would say that there will be a big crowd, I would imagine that there will be a good local interest in it and there should be a good atmosphere for the game,” said the ‘Gers boss.

The game sees the league winners take on the Mulhern Cup winners for the biggest prize in junior football and Kerr acknowledges that there has been little between them in their meetings this season.

“We have played them three times this season if you count the Kennedy Cup when we beat them and we drew the two league games.

“I felt the first day we should have beaten them and the second day we weren’t as good on the night but we did what we had to do to win the league which was not lose and we were delighted with that.

“Tummery have had a fantastic season, they finished second behind us in the league and they won the Mulhern Cup. They have some really good players but then again so do we and in my opinion it is the two best teams about,” he said.

And he knows it is going to take a huge display to come out on top.

“Mentally we need to make sure that we are fully focused on the game and make sure that we forget what has happened over the last few weeks and then physically I would be hoping that the boys haven’t lost that bit of energy.

“We know it is going to take a massive performance but at the end of the day it is the same for both teams, it is 11 v 11, it is a good pitch and if we can put in a performance I will be delighted,” he added.

So, what would it mean if they were able to make it three in a row?

“It would be an unbelievable achievement,” he commented. “You are talking about your Harryville Homers, your Immaculatas, sides who have done it three times in a row and it would put us up there with the best teams in Junior football over the last 15 years or so, that would be some achievement,” he concluded.