'Getting to Ulster final not an achievement, we have to go win it' says Cullyhanna boss Reel

​St Patrick’s Cullyhanna will be hoping to bring an Ulster Championship title back to south Armagh when they take on Ballyhaise this Sunday in the Intermediate Football decider.

It has been a tremendous year for the Armagh county champions, who have won eight straight Championship matches to reach this point, and whilst their manager Stephen Reel is happy with what he has seen so far, he says that nobody is patting themselves on the back just yet, and they are hungry for provincial success this weekend.

“There is a good belief in the squad that these boys can win every game they play,” he said.

“There is a great hunger amongst the players. They weren't happy just to win the county final, they weren't happy just to win one game in Ulster, they wanted more.

“There is a good buzz around the club and the community, but we're just trying to keep our heads down and ignore the outside hype and focus on the job at hand.

“We're happy that the kids and all the supporters are enjoying the build up, but for us getting to a final is not an achievement. We want to win it, and then we'll enjoy it if we get over the line.”

Corner forward Aidan Nugent has been in fine form of late, as he has notched 0-16 in their two previous Ulster Championship wins, but he is just one of many quality players all across the field.

Wing forward Ross McQuillan was awarded the honour of Armagh Club Intermediate Player of the Year 2023, Shea Hoey was Man of the Match with 1-4 in their county final win over St Paul’s, Pearse Casey and Jason Duffy have made for a dominant midfield duo, and Sean Connell and Sean Og Irwin have marshalled the defence.

In their Ulster quarter-final, it took a stoppage time free from Nugent for St Pat’s to claim a one-point win, but the semi was more routine, as they saw off Liatroim 0-17 to 0-6.

“We have had two decent performances in Ulster so far,” said Reel.

“They were both tight games – the first one especially, against Pomeroy, which went right down to the wire. The big thing in that match was that when we had our purple patch, we took our chances in those moments.

“Against Liatorim, we finished strong but the game was tight at half-time and there were moments where it could have gone either way. But we had an opportunity to build a lead, and we took it.”

Up next is Cavan side Ballyhaise, who will provide a stern challenge, but Reel emphasised the importance of his side maximising their own strengths instead of focussing to much on their opponents.

“I think you can sometimes focus too much on the opposition; what we're doing is focusing on ourselves,” said the Cullyhanna boss.

“It will be a tough game, there is no question about that, they're not in an Ulster final for no reason. We have done well so far, but make no mistake about it, we're going to need our best performance to date, if we're going to beat Ballyhaise.”

Thankfully, preparations for the game have been good as St Patrick’s are set to have a full squad to pick from, and Reel paid tribute to Armagh coach and former Mayobridge manager Ciaran McKeever, who has added expertise to the backroom team since coming on board.

“The preparations have been good, and the coaching has been good,” said Reel.

“We have Ciaran McKeever in coaching with us at the minute; he's a top coach and he has a great ability to transfer tactics from team meetings and video work onto the training field.

“He has been a big plus since coming in. He's added a new voice, and he has stepped the levels up.”