TEEMORE captain Damien Lee is hoping his side can come out on top in this weekend’s Intermediate Final to make up for the disappointment of missing out on promotion in the league.
The Shamrocks missed out on playing Division One football next year as they finished in third spot in Division Two with an outside chance of qualifying on the final day. The experienced Lee says consistency cost his side in the end.
“We were disappointed, We had a poor league campaign, there is no dressing that up, one of our targets was to get promoted and we didn’t achieve that. I suppose a couple of games cost us but that’s the thing with the league, you need consistency and you know the table doesn’t lie, we weren’t good enough.”
Lee will lead out Teemore on Saturday alongside his son Aaron, with a father and son playing a pivotal role in Teemore’s Championship run, however, both have become accustomed to playing together by now.
“It’ll be great to win it, but it’s kind of normal now we’ve been playing together for two years. At the start, there was a bit of chat about it locally when it was new but it’s just kind of normal now. When we’re playing together, we don’t pass too many remarks on each other and that’s just the way it is,” laughed Lee.
Teemore saw off Derrylin by 10 points when the two sides met in the group stages of the competition making them favourites heading into the derby clash at Brewster Park but Teemore’s captain is convinced it will be a much tighter affair this time around.
“I’d say it’ll give them serious motivation for this game, and they’ll be delighted to get another rattle at us because obviously they were missing a few that day and we’ll be expecting a very different test this time.
“We know what Derrylin are capable of, they are a Division One team as well,” Lee added.
Irvinestown handed Teemore their toughest encounter of the Championship so far, as Damian Gormley’s side took them all the way to extra-time in Tempo at the semi-final stage. The Shamrocks recorded comfortable group wins over St Pats, Derrylin and Maguiresbridge for an automatic place in this year’s Intermediate semi-final as they have the chance to go straight back up to the Senior Championship following a narrow defeat in the relegation decider this time last year against Ederney in Lisnaskea.
Lee says preparations are going well and that there is more to come from this side in the coming years.
“Training is going well, it’s always easier when you’re looking forward to a final.
“There is some serious talent in the ranks.
“You have three county players there and you have a lot of boys who are involved in underage county teams and there’s plenty of potential there. If they stick together, they could go as far as they went.”
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