Clarke’s eyes turn to championship after Glenn triumph

By Shaun Casey

BOUNCING right back to Division Two football was the main objective for Glenn at the start of the season and Stevie Clarke’s side have done so in impressive fashion. After 18 games, his side were unbeaten and have the league title safely stored away.

They drew with Annaclone last Friday evening but were crowned league champions the Monday before when Aughlisnafin conceded the second last league game. It was perhaps a bit of an anti-climax, but Clarke is just happy to get back to the second tier.

“That was the aim at the start of the year, to come straight back up and to try and get a few players blooded in,” said Clarke, who took over at his home club last year.

“Last year we had a fairly small panel, but we got Matty Bagnell, Cormac Clarke, Ciaran O’Brien and David Convery all back in, they had all been travelling.

“Then we actually got four minor lads up as well, which really helped the whole thing. We’ve got a good squad this year, every player has had a start or got minutes at some stage, so it’s been good for us.”

All attention will swiftly turn towards the business end of the season and Glenn are looking forward to championship time. They were one of the stories in the Mourne County last year when they made it all the way to the Senior semi-finals where they lost out to Burren.

It’s a quick turnaround and their opening round clash against Division One league runners-up Carryduff is just two weeks away.

“We’ll start prepping straight away,” added Clarke. “Our aim was the league and when the draw was made and Carryduff came out, there was a bit of chat about it and how big of a task that’s going to be, but we haven’t genuinely been looking beyond the league.

“Up until last week, it was hard to believe that our team could go unbeaten and still have to win two of the last three games to get promotion. There’s been sort of a mini league within a league between ourselves, Drumgath, Annaclone and Clann na Banna.”

On the prospect of facing Carryduff, one of the favourites to wrestle the Frank O’Hare Cup from Kilcoo’s grasp, Clarke suggested his team have nothing to lose.

“The championship is a free hit for us.

“I’m really actually happy that most of the lads are fairly fit at this moment in time. It’s great that we now have a shot at the championship, we’re really looking forward to it now.

“The first match is a free hit for every club in that you get a second chance, and we’ve seen Carryduff are flying high themselves.

“The thing about us being unbeaten might stand to us or might leave us complacent. It’s just very hard to know what playing in Division Three is going to do for our level until we’re in the thick of championship football.”