BY BARRY O'DONNELL
FORMER US tennis legend Billy Jean King once remarked that "Champions keep playing until they get it right". That being the case then this current Dromore team deserve to have their name inscribed on the O'Neill Cup roll of honour list.
After enduring numerous gut-wrenching defeats in the Championship earlier this decade (to add to the litany of well-documented losses in the more distant past) St Dympna's gained due reward for their stubborn perseverance and unwavering self-belief when finally making the breakthrough in 2007.
Coalisland felt the full force of this pent-up frustration and burning determination when put to the sword twelve months ago in the final as Dromore, captained by Fabian O'Neill, consigned their annoying 'nearly men' tag to the dustbin.
However not simply content with this magnificent achievement (they went on to complete the league and championship 'double' last term), Noel McGinn's charges are back for more in 2008 and now stand just sixty minutes away from back-to-back O'Neill Cup triumphs.
They will take to the field at Healy Park on Sunday strongly fancied to retain their senior title at the expense of a dangerous Clonoe outfit, whose own confidence will be soaring after claiming some notable scalps themselves through the course of the campaign.
Fabian O'Neill was bestowed with the honour of becoming the first Dromore man to get his hands on the O'Neill Cup when he jubilantly raised it aloft in the main stand at Healy Park last season and the 25-year old continues to hold the captain's armband as they seek to retain their title.
A reluctant spokesman for the team off the pitch, the modest O'Neill is content to let other members of Dromore's star-studded line-up hog the headlines but there is no doubting his leadership capabilities once on the field.
The fiesty corner-back forms part of a superbly-drilled and well-organised defence which further underlined its quality and meaness when shutting down a sparkling Ardboe attack, that featured the McGuigan brothers, in last Sunday's one-sided semi-final.
Dromore, like every other leading club side in the county, had to place their own aspirations in cold storage over the summer while all the attention was focused on Tyrone's heroics. Fabian revealed that it was a frustrating time for all concerned at Gardrum Park, particularly with their outstanding first round replay tie against Omagh placed on the backburner.
" We were missing six boys every night at training and were without a proper competitive game for three months.
" It was crazy to be honest, it was just hard to keep any sort of mometum going after the draw with Omagh. Something has to be done because there is a thousand boys playing football in Tyrone, not just thirty.
"Don't get me wrong, everyone likes to see Tyrone doing well but the clubs shouldn't have to suffer. They're rushing now to get the Club Championship played off which isn't ideal."
Whatever about the haste with which the Championship is being 'rattled off' in October, Dromore don't seem to have suffered any adverse reaction. Successive victories over Omagh, Coalisland and Ardboe were secured in routine fashion, with the holders never really under pressure at any stage. While naturally keen to dampen expectations, O'Neill acknowledges that the mood in the camp is buoyant at present.
" It was a massive bonus for us to have so many boys coming back from their Tyrone success on a real high. They have carried that form on with us which is a big bonus because I know some county players have struggled a bit since returning to their clubs. We're lucky in that the likes of Ricey and Colm put in the effort every week with us."
With Tyrone minor captain Ronan McNabb suspended, and Sean McDonnell and Conor O'Neill both injured, the latter forced out with a groin strain at the weekend, even Dromore's impressive playing resources are being stretched by the current gruelling Championship schedule. Fabian though is philosophical about the situation.
" Fellas can pick up the odd knock or niggle playing week-in, week-out and you can be sore on Monday morning. I suppose when someone has a more serious injury they have less time to recover which can be a problem but in the main when things are going well and you're winning it's alright.
" You need a strong panel to be successful in anything these days and with the matches coming thick and fast all the boys have to be ready to step in if needed and do a job. But in saying that the quality of the men out would still be a concern for us and does test the strength of our panel."
Clearly liberated by their 2007 breakthrough, Dromore look like a team going from strength to strength and as the captain contends they were desperate not to rest on their laurels after bagging the O'Neill Cup for the first time.
" The monkey's off our back now and we know we have what it takes to win the senior title. There's none of that talk about the Dromore jinx in the run-up to this year's final. But we have to go on and show it was no one-off by beating Clonoe
" They are a good outfit, a classy team and they have a shrewd operator over them in Damian Cassidy. He has them full of confidence and playing a good style of football.
" I would say it's going to be a different story to last year's final and an awful lot tighter."
