'It's a bit surreal' - Amateur League manager reflects after watching his 'prolific' side score 21 goals in cup victory
Clonduff manager Jonathan Magee admits it was “surreal” watching on as his side scored 21 goals in Saturday’s Junior Shield victory – another highlight in what has been a tremendous rise for the club over recent years.
Freshly promoted from Division 2C in what was their first campaign in the Amateur League pyramid, Clonduff have developed a reputation for goals having netted 127 times across 30 league matches last term.
Magee’s men have evidently picked up from where they left off, firing in 12 goals before half-time and another nine after the break as Dale Legge finished with seven while Jonny Bowes (six) and Jordan Robinson (three) also registered hat-tricks.
Clonduff know what it’s like to be on the other end of a heavy defeat – they were beaten 9-2 by eventual Clarence Cup champions Derriaghy CC last season – and Magee admits their weekend clash is one that will live long in the memory.
"We didn't know what to expect - it's not too often something like that happens,” he said. “It's a bit surreal.
"We had a couple of big scorelines last season against a team in our league too but you feel a bit sorry for the other team at one point...you have to keep playing though to get the job done and keep playing to the whistle.
"The boys just kept going to the end and one striker got seven and one got six so they weren't taking it easy on anybody. It's all about the goals for them.
"I think it was 12 at half-time and it was a weird team talk to give! Friends have been asking me what was going on. We'd done our research and knew they were in a lower division and we'd be expected to win, but you don't expect that result."
Bowes in particular has been prolific in recent times, contributing 42 goals across the last two seasons alone, while Legge has netted in seven of his last eight outings.
"We've probably one of the best players in the league in Jonny Bowes, who has been at the club since it started about 10 or 11 years ago and he scores 20 or 30 goals every season,” added Magee. “We're lucky in that aspect of it. Jonny must have scored over 200 or 300 goals for the club now in 10 years - he's prolific.”
Last season was a rollercoaster of emotions for Clonduff, who won an appeal to get Amateur League status, but not before they’d already played five matches in the Down Area League.
The backlog of league fixtures, which was further hampered by cup progression, meant Magee’s side played 19 matches in 46 days throughout April and May to secure promotion.
"The club has built a good youth set-up so we're moving forward well,” said Magee. “We didn't know what to expect in 2C last season and we ended up finishing second and getting promoted.
"We were originally in the Down Area League and got turned down for the Amateur League, but we appealed it and got in.
"We were playing catch up with league games because we'd progressed in all cup competitions so it was great from the boys getting us promoted because it was a slog at the end playing that many games."