Lynch’s St John’s aiming to overturn the odds in Down

By Shaun Casey

GETTING everyone fighting fit and primed for the championship will be the focus of St John’s manager Jack Lynch over the next two weeks as they begin their preparations for the business end of the season.

Following the conclusion of their Division Three league campaign, St John’s finished in fourth place, not really troubling the promotion spots, but still comfortably in the top half. Now, all the focus will be on a giant-killing in the opening round of the Intermediate Championship as they face Rostrevor in round one, who have been promoted to the top tier and will be one of the favourites to go all the way.

While Rostrevor are perhaps the team to beat at intermediate level, Lynch believes there are lots of top contenders that will be vying for the title this season.

“Injury-wise we’re not too bad and we’ve mostly got cleared up now so hopefully we’ll be going all guns blazing then come the championship,” said Lynch, who took Drumgath to an Intermediate Championship final in 2020.

“We have a big task in the first round with Rostrevor, and they are absolutely flying it at the top of Division Two so it’s a big task but one we’re looking forward to.

“There’s also the Kingdom (An Riocht), Annaclone had a good campaign in Division Two this year and they’ll not be too far away either. Clann na Banna is the same. Darragh Cross are a good side, Liatroim too. It’s definitely a tough championship but somebody is going to win it and it’s just about getting all your players right and getting a bit of momentum. If you win your first game that gets you up and running.”

2026 is Lynch’s second season in charge of St John’s, who reached the last four of the championship last year, and the loss of some key men derailed their promotion push.

“We started the season well and had a good preseason,” he added. “Our goal was probably promotion, and we beat Liatroim in the first game and there were good vibes but midway through the season we lost a couple of players.

“Andrew Gilmore went to America, and we had a few injuries, and they were key players and key to what we were doing. I think we lost three on the bounce in the middle of the season and that done us with regards promotion.

“Drumgath and Darragh Cross were going well, and we just couldn’t catch them, then the likes of Liatroim and Attical were going well too so that sort of finished it.”