Tummery Athletic 5 Strathroy Harps 0

Tummery Athletic were crowned Mercer League champions on Saturday and they got the job done in style as they blew away Strathroy Harps 5-0 at Crawford’s Lane.

With the title going down to the last day Tummery knew that any slip up would open the door for Dergview Reserves, but there was no mistakes from the Dromore outfit.

Goals from Ruairi Sludden and Aidy McCaffrey had them two goals to the good at the break and Sludden Marty Hughes and Blain Campbell all added to the score in the second half to seal the victory.

Tummery player manager Ryan Hanna was delighted as he saw his side come through a tough run in to secure back to back Mercer Cup titles.

“I’m just delighted,” he said.

“We knew coming into the last five games that it was going to be squeaky bum time, they were very difficult games against five of the top six teams, with three of them away back to back; so we knew that would be the making or breaking of it. But, it was still in our hands coming into the last day and we went and finished it off in style.

“We’re delighted to get over the line because Dergview Reserves pushed us all the way.”

Tummery were awarded the title back in 2019/20 season when the league was prematurely halted due to Covid but Hanna admits that this one means more to everybody.

“The last one was out of our hands, there was six games left and we were top by four or five points when it was called off.

“We celebrated it when we were awarded it but when you don’t get to finish the season on the pitch you feel that there is a point left to prove.

“It was not something that we honed in on but the boys knew internally that that was the fuel. Talk of a tainted title and all that drove us on and we have done it the hard way now because it is the longest season we have ever had and it was one of the toughest run ins. I know that Rangers won one when they went Tuesday, Thursday Saturday at one time but in terms of the quality of the teams we played it was a tight run in. There is no doubt about it, the season is a reflection on the best team and we were the best team over the 26 games. This one is very, very sweet,” he added.

And it hasn’t all been about free flowing football for Tummery who had to dig in at times and hit a number of late winners in games which ultimately helped take them to the title.

“You need to show every facet of your game if you are going to win the title. We won games in style, we won games by grinding out when probably games that we should have lost, and then there are games that we should have won comfortably but have ended up winning it in the last minute. But that is credit to the boys, it is an old cliche but we play to the final whistle and our conditioning helped us a lot in those games were we got goals in the 85 plus minute to win.”

The Tummery player manager is now looking forward to a well earned rest but he believes that there is more in this Tummery team.

“I know there will be a couple of lads who will end it there but with the core group there and a couple of additions this team can do what they done this year again.

“I think everybody deserves a break to chill and reset but then we’ll think about it in a couple of weeks time and see where we are with players.” he said.