THE October blitzkrieg of Championship fixtures has nearly run its course with just the one outstanding tie to fulfil- the O'Neill Cup 'east vs west' showdown this Sunday afternoon. (Throw-in 3.30pm)
The attractive Senior decider at Healy Park brings together the holders Dromore, who have progressed serenely though to another decider in recent weeks, and surprise packets Clonoe, who at last seem to be fulfiling their undoubted potential.
With the monkey wrestled from their back in '07 (as well as the fabled Canon Clinton 'curse'), the St Dympna's have played like a side brimming with confidence and purpose this season, and especially since the Championship belatedly recommenced after Tyrone's heroics.
They followed up their first round replay triumph over Omagh with impressive demolitions of both Coalisland and last weekend Ardboe to remain on course to defend their title.
Unlike a number of high-profile Tyrone stars of late, Dromore's All-Ireland winners have carried the momentum, form and optimism of their inter-county deeds back into the club arena.
Talismanic figures such as Ryan McMenamin, Colm McCullagh, Shaun O'Neill and Cathal McCarron have suffered no reaction to the emotional rollercoaster of the Red Hands summer adventure, and quickly refocused their objectives on collecting further silverware for the Gardrum Park trophy cabinet.
No doubt there's also a desire to make up for lost time, with the club having endured endless heartaches and disappointments on the Championship front down through the decades. Now that they are hogging the limelight and the headlines, they have no intentions of leaving centre stage.
However opponents Clonoe are desperate for a slice of the action themselves. The O'Rahillys have clocked up six Senior titles in the past and they will see it as particularly appropriate to lift the trophy again on Sunday, exactly fifty years after Joe McCabe captained them to their historic and infamous breakthrough success in 1958 (Omagh failed to field for the final).
That legendary side of course completed a marvellous three-in-a-row of O'Neill Cup triumphs but pickings have been more scant in recent times, and their previous Championship victory was all of seventeen years ago (1991) when they denied fierce local rivals Coalisland their own hat-trick of county crowns.
Of course the Fianna's disastrous outing in last year's final, when they suffered a ten point hammering at the hands of a rampant Dromore, should act as a warning to Damien Cassidy's young charges.
Frozen by fear and totally lacking in self-belief and confidence, Coalisland looked and played like a team who were unaccustomed to such prestigious, high-profile occasions. Their neighbours Clonoe will be desperate to avoid similar first night nerves against Noel McGinn's seasoned, battle-hardened troops.
Certainly there has been few signs of any inhibitions or concerns in the play of the Rahillys to date in the Championship and any team who can account for both Errigal Ciaran and Carrickmore en route, are fully deserving of their spot in the final.
The likes of Aidan Brady, Colm Doris, Colm Donnelly, Shane O'Hagan, Emmet Teague and Ryan T O'Neill mightn't be household names like their counterparts in the opposite corner, but they have slowly established a growing reputation as a genuine force in the county, and under the guidance of new Derry boss Cassidy are at last delivering on their promise.
Still it would represent a massive shock should they topple Dromore from their perch this weekend and few are expecting the top prize in Tyrone club football to be heading 'east' for the first time since 1998 when Ardboe took the laurels.
The one principal concern Clonoe will have going into Sunday's showdwon is their failure to translate territorial dominance into scores. Their generally low returns in the three games to date suggest they lack the quality and potency of Dromore up front, though it also speaks volume for their mean, tight-knit defence that they have still been successful despite their general lack of productivity at the other end.
However given Shaun O'Neill, Colm McCullagh and Eoin McCusker's razor sharp instincts when presented with a goal chance, Clonoe need somebody to step up to the mark themselves, otherwise they could be in for a long afternoon.
An interested observer at the vast majority of Championship games this last few weeks has been Mickey Harte, the Tyrone boss continue to trawl the county for fresh talent ahead of a new season. He is suitably impressed by the level of performances Dromore have turned in week-in, week-out and believes they are very much the team to beat.
" It is hard to look past Dromore at the minute. They look a much better side than they were last year. Now that they have shaken off all the talk about not having won a title, they are playing with a lot more flamboyance and freedom in their play.
" They show great composure on the ball and they are obviously a much more mature side than they were twelve months ago. They like being champions and they are defending it with real style."
Ironically Clonoe had no players in Tyrone's Sam Maguire winning panel but their lack of star quality hasn't stopped them gelling into a well-disciplined, committed team unit. Harte has been similarly impressed with the strides they have taken.
" Clonoe have come through probably the toughest half of the draw and Damien Cassidy seems to have brought a bit of method to their set-up. While their games haven't been spectacular they have been getting the results. They'll be hoping to save their best performance for next Sunday and if they do it should be a great final.
" But judging it on matches to date, it's very difficult to look past Dromore. They look a very accomplished side at the minute and look like they are going to be a force for a long time."
