A sleeping giant awoke in 2020 when Dungannon Clarke’s won a first Tyrone SFC title in 64 years.
The good times returned to O’Neill Park following some bleak years which saw the club drop all the way to Division Three.
Expectations have risen in tandem with standards and there’s a feeling not only within the town but further afield in the county that it’s only a matter of time before Dungannon back up that success of four years ago with another O’Neill Cup triumph.
It’s not something the players are allowing themselves to become obsessed about, however, and attacker Patrick Quinn insisted that the process is very much about the journey, rather than the destination.
“The squad is bigger than it was in 2020, and we have that bit more experience that could get us over the line and keep pushing on,” said Quinn.
“We’re not thinking about the big picture yet, we just want to get in to the next round.”
The Clarke’s edged out neighbours Donaghmore in a tense first round tie to set up a quarter-final clash with Loughmacrory.
With the core of the 2020 title-winning team still intact, an experienced group finally outwitted a young St Patrick’s outfit still learning harsh lessons about the unforgiving world of Tyrone Championship football.
“Donaghmore had the youth in the legs, they were getting up that field, and against that wind, they were stroking brilliant scores from outside the D. But maybe the experience dug us out of it.”
With the game very much in the balance midway through the second half, skipper Padraig McNulty seized the moment with a couple of big plays, thumping over a crucial point and winning a late penalty from which Paul Donaghy smashed home the winning goal, 2-9 to 1-9.
“His experience got him over that, he knew where to be at what stages and he came through with a crucial point when we really needed it.
“It was always going to go down to the wire. It was score for score before the penalty.”
The Clarke’s had bossed the opening quarter of the Plunkett Park derby, opening up a six points lead while playing into the wind.
But Donaghmore, sparked by a brilliant Peter McKenna goal, stormed back to go level.
“We dug deep, but we have been doing that this year, with teams coming back at us, but thank God we have the strength there in the squad to be able to finish out a game.
“I wouldn’t say we were cruising, but we were in control of the game.
“Playing against the wind, if you had told me we were going to be two points up at half-time, I would have taken it.
“The way we were playing, and a few wee mistakes, we got possession off Donaghmore and then gave it away and then the goal went in, and that brought it down from six to two, and that was huge.
“Donaghmore game out really strong in the second half against the wind, because the wind means nothing, it’s a running game, and they took us to the wire.
“It could have been either one of us to get over the line.”
Quinn, who teamed up with Donaghy in a highly effective strike force, kicking three wonderful points from play, believes some key areas need to be tightened up ahead of the last eight clash with Loughmacrory.
“We need to control the ball a bit better. There’s plenty of things to improve in, we wouldn’t have been happy with that performance overall.
“We did play well in patches, but we know there’s plenty more in us.
“It’s just about controlling our own game and it will hopefully get it over the line.”