Ballyclare aiming to clinch All Ireland Junior Cup in Dundalk

Mike Orchin-McKeever’s side have been away from home in all three rounds leading up to Saturday’s final when again they hit the road travelling to Dundalk for a clash with Bective Rangers (2.30pm).

The Co Antrim team fell in the decider against Clogher Valley two years ago.

McKeever said: “We have been on the road and got round three provinces so far, away to Castlebar (Connacht) which was a nice road trip on the day, up to City of Derry (Ulster) and then Kilfeacle (Munster) which was a tough environment to go to, that was a hard grafting game, so now down to Leinster to face Leinster opposition.

“It is the second time doing it in three years so there is a different atmosphere for that type of competition.

“You want to win things that you haven’t won before and you always want to strive to keep getting better, so you want to win everything as a coach, and you have got to except that isn’t always achievable. But when you have a competition that you haven’t won before you really want to go for that.

“We are quite balanced in our approach to games. It is normally the supporters that enjoy the big day out, the occasion of the bus ride and the big day out on the sidelines, but the players are very good at controlling their emotions in that aspect.

“It is the exact same preparation from week to week, the most exciting thing is playing against an unknown so you have to prepare for everything and they don’t really know what you have got,” he added.

"When you are playing the same Ulster opposition from season to season you are maybe coming across each other three to four times a year with he likes of a Junior Cup and Towns Cup.”

Ballyclare are also pushing hard in the league and Orchin-McKeever relishes the challenge of battling on several fronts.

“Winning is a habit and losing is a habit, a bit of snow coming in is brilliant because it gets you a free Saturday and allows the boys to get a bit of recovery but then you have to rejig a match into somewhere else,” he said.

“The demands are tough, but it builds consistency and that bit more of a relentless attitude within every player to go about their business.”

Orchin-McKeever thinks the final will come down to ever handles the occasion best on the day.

“I would have played against Bective at All Ireland League level, and they have moved down to the junior ranks and they have been trying they best to get back to senior rugby knocking on the door the last few years as Leinster champions, so you would see them going in as favourites being league winners previously and not getting out of the round robin.

“Bernard Jackman is heavily involved in Bective. It is a cliché to say it is all on the day and anything can happen, but I think we are a strong enough club and we are in a lot of good form over the last couple of seasons and certainly over the last three or four matches.

“You hope it is about excitement and trying to get a job done, I’m a big believer in creating memories for players and the players doing it for each other.”