Rangers' boss Kerr determined to give it all in final

After winning a hat-trick of Junior Cups from 2017 to 2019, Rangers’ most recent appearance in the final in 2020 was a penalty shoot-out defeat to Willowbank, but Kerr is determined to recapture the trophy when they get back to the National Stadium at the start of May.

“When the Junior Cup final comes around it is a fantastic day, but we are not going there to make up the numbers, we will be going up there to win the trophy,” he said.

“We will have a game plan and we will have Cleary Celtic watched, although that is all on the back burner for a wee while. I’m just so delighted for every one of the boys. Every single person, the committee, family and friends. I’m delighted for everybody. It’s going to be a fantastic day for the club. We will bring a big crowd to Windsor and let’s hope we can bring the trophy back to Fermanagh come May Day.”

Rangers raced into a 3-0 lead after just 31 minutes, and Kerr admitted the first half of the semi-final was better than he could have hoped for.

“The first half an hour could not have gone better, and to get through to half-time 3-0 up was really a dream come true,” he admitted.

“Rangers and Tummery games never have that many goals, in the first half especially. It is usually one goal here or there, so the first half was excellent and the game plan worked to a treat.

"We worked on that and wanted to utilise our pace in behind and be patient at the back.

“The first half was excellent, and the second half was exactly what we expected. It was a bit of a barrage from Tummery. They were always going to throw the kitchen sink at us, and they did.

"That is champions for you, and that’s what they are. They have won the Fermanagh and Western three times in a row and there was never going to be a case where they were going to step down or not go hell for leather. They did, and we expected it, and we wanted to make sure that first 10 or 15 minutes of the second half we didn’t concede.

"We had to drop deep and win first balls and win second balls and we competed really well. When it goes 3-1 they have a bit of wind in their sails and they are pushing hard.

"I thought we should have maybe got one on the counter-attack, but when the final whistle went that was a relief.”

Rangers’ victory came despite a raft of players being unavailable through injury and suspension, and Kerr knows he is going to have to make some tough decisions ahead of the final.

“There have been a few sleepless nights picking teams and picking squads,” he admitted.

“We were missing Stuart Rainey, Jordy McClure, Ciaran Brough, Jason Cluff, Ronan Beattie so it made my job easier to pick a squad but there is no doubt there will be a few headaches in a few weeks, but we have a bit of a break now and then we will look to the league.

"I’m over the moon for the players, and I’m absolutely ecstatic for Jordy McClure who missed the game through suspension as there’s a chance now for him to go to Windsor and be part of the squad.”

Action from Enniskillen Rangers v Tummery Athletic, Irish Junior Semi-Final at Ferney Park. (Image: John McVitty)

Tummery boss Ryan Hanna had hoped 2024 would be the year the club would claim their first-ever Junior Cup, but that dream came to an end at Ferney Park.

“The club has never got the Junior Cup before and has been in one final, and we thought we had the squad and the momentum to do it this year, but Rangers have been there and done it and showed their quality,” he acknowledged, as he turned his focus to the league and Mulhern Cup.

“We have to show our character now and bounce back.”

It was an evenly contested opening to the match, but Rangers struck three times in 17 minutes to take the tie out of Tummery’s grasp. 

“We were bitterly disappointed to go in 3-0 down at half-time, and maybe the difference in the two teams is that they were more clinical,” said Hanna.

“The first 15 minutes was played at a very high pace with great quality. The two teams were going at it, but Rangers struck first.

"That is the story of our last eight weeks. We are getting great chances and in great situations but we aren’t putting them away and being as clinical as we should be.

“In the second half, Rangers had a 3-0 lead and it was up to us to go and win the game and we just didn’t do enough to do that. Rangers defended well. They are good at being compact and they were catching us on the counter.

"We had a number of half chances and we kept playing and probing. We got the goal from Paudi (Dillon), which was a great finish, but it maybe didn’t come early enough.

"I think if we had got it 10 or 15 minutes earlier you would have got that wee buzz knowing there were 30 minutes left instead of 15, but all credit to Rangers. They have been there and done it, and they have got cup pedigree, and the best team always wins.”