Graham Tarmac Antrim Junior Football Championship final
O’Donnell’s v Pearse’s (Dunsilly, Friday, 7.30pm)
 
WE know the Antrim Junior Football Championship title will reside in the city for 2022, but whether it its heading to the north or west will be decided at Dunsilly on Friday night as Pearse’s take on O’Donnell’s.

Many would have anticipated this pair would be in the running for honours this year and so it has come to pass with the West Belfast side taking the more direct approach having bypassed the quarter-finals thanks to their top-place finish in Group One courtesy of a 3-6 to 2-2 win over Pearse’s the final game.

But the groups are simply there to be navigated and Pearse’s counted back with strong wins against St Agnes’ and St Malachy’s, while O’Donnell’s needed extra-time to get by Éire Óg in the semi-final.

The St James’s club have made huge strides this year having failed to reach the knockout phase in 2021 and have done so despite losing Conal O’Donnell and Conall Walsh  to ACL injuries this year.

It was back in 2011 when they last claimed this title and there are still some survivors in the team from that two-in-a-row triumph in Conor Walsh and Kevin Kennedy.

Yet it is mainly a new crop that have driven O’Dees with Ciaran Ferran, Padraig McKissock and Cailean Walsh central to their hopes with manager Joe Herald acknowledging a Junior title would do wonders to inspire the emerging talent in the club.

“We’ve a lot of young lads,” he says of his team.

“The average age is about 22 or 23 which is great. We were talking to the lads that whatever comes our way on Friday and we want to give a good account of ourselves, but it’s really the start of something more than coming to the end.

“The U15s and U17s have big numbers, so hopefully there will be that conveyor belt coming through. We’d like to establish ourselves as a good Intermediate and Division two team over the next few years.”

While O’Donnell’s won that Championship clash in August, Pearse’s took the points in both league games and it is anticipated this final will be a close-run thing.

The North Belfast side have been knocking on the door of the Junior title for a few seasons and are well used to this stage of the season, so the O’Donnell’s books said that while they rightly enjoyed their semi-final win, the challenge ge will be greater again on Friday.

“There’s a good buzz around the club after the semi-final, especially with the work being done underage and it was great for all the kids who were there, but we’ve won nothing yet,” he stressed.

“Any time we’ve played Pearse’s, I’ve been impressed by them.

“They beat us twice in the league and are a great footballing side that doesn’t get the praise they should. I know they will come to play football on Friday, which is good.”

O'Donnell's got past Éire Óg after extra-time in their semi-final
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O'Donnell's got past Éire Óg after extra-time in their semi-final

Pearse’s must go all the way back to 1971 for their last Junior title although they were Intermediate winners three years later, but this Friday will represent an opportunity to end a long wait for silverware.

The club has been rebuilding since its return to the Junior competition in 2011 and there are many stalwarts who have been part of that journey including Piaras Donaghy, Niall Largey and Aodhán McCavana who along with Stephen Fitzsimmons, Sean Moreland, Oisin and Fionn Grew, will spearhead the New Lodge side’s challenge.

McCavana has had his fair share of heartache in the competition but having finally made the decider, he wants to finish the job.

“We’ve been close over the past few years to get into a final and now we are here, it’s a big thing for the club as it’s the first time in a generation we’ve been there,” said the defender.

“There’s so much great work going one at the club with boys and girls’ teams, so hopefully this is something for them to aspire to.

“Finals are about winning, but hopefully this will be a great occasion for the club.”

There will be no great secret for either team on Friday given the familiarity that exists between them, so it will really just come down to whom handles the occasion and blocks out the noise to deliver a performance.

Pearse’s have seemed to improve with each game and have timed their run well.

Conceding just three points in their semi-final win over St Malachy’s is a very positive sign and they will aim to reach a crescendo this week having got over the defeat to O’Donnell’s in the group stage to bounce back with a pair of wins, the manner of which has instilled a confidence that this is their time, but McCavana insists anything short of their best and the hunt for silverware will continue.

Pearse's overcame St Malachy's in their semi-final
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Pearse's overcame St Malachy's in their semi-final

“There is a lot of familiarity from my time playing and it’s always been a close game,” he says of Friday’s opposition.

“It’s all on the day and whoever turns up and plays well, but also who handles the occasion better as it will be a big day for both clubs so we can’t get distracted by that. Once the ball gets thrown-in, it’s about delivering a good performance.

“At the start of the championship, we felt we were getting over the line but with a lot of improving to do and that continued through to the knockout stages.

“We had the blip against O’Dees in the group stage, but through the quarter-final and semi-final we improved as we went and hopefully can bring that into the final.”