For Tempo the famine is at last over.
Stephen Jackson’s team had suffered defeat in successive county finals to Derrygonnelly and Aghadrumsee in 2022 and 2023.
So his and his club’s unbridled emotion was perfectly understandable as they celebrated a major milestone with gusto.
Jackson admitted that both of their goals had an element of good fortune- but he reckoned that they earned a slice after those two chilling defeats and the loss of a number of key players this season.
“Two years in a row we lost to Derrygonnelly and then we lost last year to Aghadrumsee by a point," he said.
“We have trained so hard from the pain of last year and we have lost so many players this season-two cruciate ligaments, pregnancy appendixes, Blaithin Bogue is in Australia and we had seven changes from the team that played in last year’s county final so it was a huge challenge but we responded to it very well.
“It is half a new team so massive respect to those girls who dug in so deep today and Belcoo presented us with an enormous challenge out there in tricky windy conditions.”
He added: “Yes, our two goals had an element of good fortune but we have had so much bad breaks during the year so we will take any bit of good luck that comes our way.
“Yes, the ball dipped but we will take anything that comes our way.”
This is a historic victory for Tempo as it is their first-ever Intermediate title, and it is one they will remember for many a day.
“These girls won a mixed Intermediate/Junior title during Lockdown, but we were not allowed to represent Fermanagh in Ulster and that is another thing that was driving these girls on.”
And he paid a tribute to Cora Maguire who is living in England and comes home to help out her club at the weekends.
“She is not able to train with us but puts in her own hard yards during the week and she has a great attitude. She put in an enormous shift.”
But Jackson reckons the experience of being in those finals stood to Tempo: "Even though we lost them- the fact that we were in those finals stood to us.
“Our aim is to build a team for the senior championship for next year which is a massive step up.”
“There was a lot of extra time played and we caught in extra time last year so we were dreading it and it was a huge relief when we heard that whistle.
“But we survived it and last year’s- experience stood to us and Cadhla Bogue, who was carrying an injury was a real strong presence for us. We are just so happy.”
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