This year’s Clochar team stand sixty minutes away from a significant place in their club’s history. Tomorrow in Roslea, the Tyrone champions go toe-to-toe with Monaghan’s Emyvale in a hotly-anticipated Ulster Junior Football Championship Final – a stage earned through ruthlessness, resilience and no shortage of quality across their provincial campaign so far.
Their run to the decider has showcased two very different sides of this Clochar team. Against Slaughtmanus in the quarter-final, they were free-scoring, composed and clinical, rattling home five goals in an emphatic 5-15 to 2-8 victory. Ciarán Bogue led the way with a superb 3-3, while the likes of Marc McConnell, Conor Shields and Ryan McCaughey kept the scoreboard moving with a fluidity that few teams at this level can match. The performance was built on control in key areas: Rory McElroy’s command under the high ball, a disciplined defensive shape, and a spread of scorers that allowed Clochar to punish Slaughtmanus whenever the game tightened.
If their quarter-final was about fluency, their semi-final against Donagh showed durability. In a dramatic clash that exploded into life late on, Clochar survived a dramatic turnaround in the dying minutes before extra-time composure eventually carried them home, 1-24 to 3-13. Donagh’s late burst – including a two-pointer deep into stoppage time – could easily have rattled lesser sides. But Clochar found another gear when it mattered.
Ciarán and Sean Bogue, Marc McConnell, Ryan McCaughey and the outstanding Conor Shields all stepped forward during extra time, while Rory McElroy produced a crucial save from point-blank range early in the additional period – a moment that was perhaps the turning point of the entire contest.
Across both games, several themes have emerged.
A scoring punch few can match – Clochar have six or seven reliable scorers. Between Bogue’s explosiveness, McConnell’s movement, the McCaugheys’ accuracy, and Shields’ ability to step into scoring positions from deep, they carry a multi-layered threat that keeps defences honest.
A spine built for championship football – Rory McElroy’s reliability, Dominic McKernan’s defensive leadership, Matty Callaghan’s industry, and the Bogue brothers’ influence give Clochar structure – something that has shone through in both their attacking and transition play.
A bench that impacts – Finbar McCaughey’s goal in the semi-final, Cillian Barkey’s contributions, and late cameos that helped steady the ship. As one player noted this week:
“Our squad is competitive and that will drive us all on. The more experienced players have to drive the young lads over the line and they have done that so far.” – Conor Shields, Clochar Captain
Emyvale come into the final with momentum of their own after navigating the opposite side of the draw. They are well organised, physically strong, and have long been considered one of the most dangerous attacking outfits in the Monaghan junior scene.
They will know exactly what Clochar bring – pace in transition, danger close to goal, and a willingness to commit numbers when the moment is right.
This final is likely to be faster than the semi-final in pace but every bit as physically demanding. The narrow confines of Roslea may also influence both teams’ approach, compressing space and rewarding those who break lines with intent.
Despite two big provincial wins, there is no sense of complacency in the Clochar camp.
“We’ve done all the hard work, and we know the quality in the dressing room.
The final is another step and there’s definitely a lot to work on.” – Conor Shields, Clochar Captain
Tomorrow represents both an opportunity and a test. Clochar have shown they can blow teams away with attacking brilliance and grind through chaos with resilience. They have the skill, the physicality, the scoring potential and the depth to win an Ulster title.
What they also have – perhaps the key ingredient – is a squad fully alive to the responsibility of the moment.
A provincial final brings pressure. But this Clochar team have walked a tightrope, played with fire, responded to setbacks, and still arrived at the biggest day of all with belief in their processes and trust in each other.
Roslea awaits. Another step. One more performance. One last push for Ulster.
By Rory Cox Fri 21st Nov
