The West Belfast side have been training in Co Down due to the lack of grass pitches with floodlights in the city ahead of Saturday’s Ulster Club SHC final against Slaughtneil
Ulster Club SHC final: Slaughtneil (Derry) vs St John’s (Antrim) (Saturday, 6pm, Box-It Athletic Grounds, live on RTÉ2)
They waited 52 years to win the Volunteer Cup. Now, St John’s are just 60 minutes away from emulating the men of 1973 and adding the Four Season Cup to their trophy cabinet.
The Whiterock Road men have to topple defending provincial champions Slaughtneil in Saturday’s decider with Loughrea awaiting the winners in next month’s All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final.
These are heady days for the Johnnies and ones they are determined to relish according to manager Ger Cunningham.
The club suffered a run of six semi-final losses in seven years before this season and they need to grab this chance of provincial silverware with both hands says Cunningham.
“We have to make the most of this – I don’t know when we’re going to be back,” said Cunningham.
“If we’ll be back next year or in the next three years, we don’t know. So, while we’re here we’ll look forward to it but obviously the plan is to go and win it.
“The lads are looking forward to it. There was a good squad of us down that that game (Slaughtneil vs Portaferry) to see who would come out and who we would face.
“It was a tight game, we probably expected Slaughtneil to come out at the other end of it. Now we know who we’re facing and there’s a good buzz about the place for the Ulster final.”
With the proverbial monkey off their back following their Antrim Championship victory, Cunningham has noticed a change in demeanor of this players, despite having to travel to Liatroim in Co Down for training due to a lack of floodlit grass pitches in Belfast.
“I’m noticing that some of them can actually smile for a change! They’re actually starting to enjoy it themselves,” said Cunningham.
“We were down in Liatroim last night and it was freezing. It’s an hour away for some of us, but they don’t mind that. It shows whenever you’re travelling that distance to train and the lads are enjoying it, that they’re in a good place.”
He added: “We’re finding it hard to get pitches. As I said before, the county couldn’t free up Dunsilly for us, so we’re having to go to Liatroim, we were in Cargin up in Toome and we’re also using Jordanstown.
“We’re travelling all over the place just to get floodlights. So big thanks to those clubs and those facilities because if they weren’t able to give them to us, then we’d be in a bit of trouble.”
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