Clogher star Bogue primed for provincial semi-final

By Michael McMullan

CLOGHER may not be looking too far ahead of themselves but after a 25-year famine, they are still peeking happily into their Ulster venture.

The Tyrone champions take on St Patrick’s, Donagh from Fermanagh on Saturday in Clones for a place in the Ulster Junior Championship final.

For Ciarán Bogue, who bagged 3-3 in Clogher’s win over Slaughtmanus, it was just about the next step on the ladder in what has been a “massive” year for the club.

“We haven’t won a championship since 2000, so 25 years is a long time coming,” he said.

The Éire Ógs were comfortable winners over Omagh Thirds, Clann na nGael and Strabane to set up a final with Drumragh who saw off Cookstown after a replay.

“We got the job done in the semi-final,” Bogue added, “we played well and then, it was the same in the final.

“Now we’re just looking towards Ulster and we’ve got off to a good start in it.”

Bogue is well supported in the Clogher attack by Marc McConnell, Ryan McCaughey and Cillian Barkey, but he carries the stardust.

He was key to the Red Hands winning the 2022 All-Ireland u-20 final and was there when needed to see off Slaughtmanus.

His first goal was a bullet to the net to help open a 2-5 to 1-4 interval lead but that margin was all but gone early in the second half.

“At half-time, we definitely weren’t happy with how we performed,” Bogue said of their introduction to Ulster

“We had a breeze in the first half and went in four points up but it was probably a six- or seven-point breeze.

“When we came out, we got probably the worst start possible. They got a penalty and put it away,” Bogue added.

“Right away, Rory (McElroy – their goalkeeper) was out with the ball quickly and we won the next two kick-outs, got a couple of scores and then just pushed on from there.”

It was Bogue who kicked those vital two points to wipe out the concession of their goal before adding two goals at the other end.

Apart from their victory, it was their clinical edge that pleased Bogue from their quarter-final.

“We didn’t really take the foot off the gas,” he said, also paying tribute to their defence.

“At the back, I don’t know how many turnovers we got. We just had massive turnovers all over the field, working right out from the full-forward line into our full-back line. I think that was probably the most enjoyable thing out of it all.”

Clogher play St Patrick’s, Donagh in the semi-final, who were winners over St Agnes’ of Belfast.

A fancied Emyvale side take on Munterconnaught of Cavan in the other semi-final but Donagh is the only word in Bogue’s vocabulary.

“We haven’t looked past the next game at all, the whole way through this season, so we’ll be doing the same,” he said.

“We’ll be going back to the training ground, working on maybe things from the first half especially and taking it from there. We’ll hopefully be raising our game for Donagh because it’ll come quick and they’ll be ready for us so we’ll make sure we’re ready for them too.”