A long wait will be ended on Sunday, no matter who takes home the Sean Quinn Cup, as Clonmore and Middletown clash. It’s been nine years since Clonmore won the title while Middletown are chasing their first since 2008.
Clonmore have previously been crowned county champions on two occasions, 2005 and 2016. A host of players remain from those two teams and they are chasing their third Junior Championship medal.
Brendan Donaghy and James Grimley, the player/managers of the current crop, are two of those players. However there is the younger generation that are out to claim their first and they’re hungry to do so.
Sean Quigley has been one of the stars of the competition, striking 8-4 so far from centre half back. Ultan Molloy and Daniel Cullen are other fresh faces that have been blooded into the team in recent years.
Undercooked Clonmore
If there’s a worry for Clonmore ahead of the showpiece, then it’ll be that they haven’t quite been tested yet. All five of their championship opponents in the campaign will be playing football in Division 3B next season.
St Michael’s pushed them to the pin of their collars and Thomas Davis certainly didn’t shrink from the challenge the last day out. But Clonmore haven’t met anyone that finished inside the top six of the Division 3A league table.
Middletown have, and they’ve successful negotiated their way through to the decider. They go into the game off the back of downing the Division 3A league champions An Port Mor with relative ease in the semi-final.
They battled pass Cross IIs in their last eight meeting and Paddy McArdle’s side have been finding form at just the right time. The feel good factor is there in the club as well, given the success of the hurlers.
Middletown momentum
They won the SHC for the seventh successive year and that energy and momentum could feed through to the footballers. Both panels carry a lot of the same players, so the confidence will be sky high in their changing room.
Fionnan O’Braonain is the second highest scorer in the Junior Championship and has been in flying form. Sean Og McGuinness is another player that has caught the eye while Chris McCann hit 0-5 in the semi-final.
The young guns in the three Charlie’s, namely McArdle, Lennon and Mooney, have all found their feet without an issue. The older heads of Paul Gaffney and the likes have surely helped them on their way.
It’s a tough game to call and both sides will feel they are good enough to go all the way on Sunday. It could come down to the finest of margins that may swing the game, but for a neutral, it should be an enjoyable encounter.
