Craigbane are in Ulster Club Championship to win it, says captain Brian Rainey

Captain Brian Rainey has no time for the usual tip toeing around when it comes Craigbane's Ulster Junior Club Championship targets; the Derry champions are in it to win it.

That's no arrogance, no underestimating opponents, just a refreshing frankness about the ambition of a rejuvenated club who have seen both sides of the championship coin. Two time Ulster Intermediate champions, most recently in 2011, the Lilywhites' provincial campaign gets underway on Sunday with a tough preliminary round trip to Kingspan Breffni to face Cavan champions, Drumlane.

"We're looking forward to it. It's another challenge, another hurdle to overcome," explained Rainey, "We set out at the start of the year to win the championship, that was out goal when we meet in the hall at the start of the year. We've done that and now we've regrouped and we are in this to win it.

"We did it back in 2011 and we still have a few boys with that experience so they are hungry, the young boys are hungry and we will see how it gets on."

Rainey was a tough tackling man marker 11 years ago when Craigbane defeated Armagh's Cullaville Blues in the Healy Park decider but the St. Patrick & St. Brigid's, Claudy teacher has seen the other side of the game as Craigbane toiled against emigration, retirements and the loss of key personnel which contributed to a slip into junior football. The last two season's have brought contrasting championship defeats to Desertmartin but it clicked back into gear this season with the return of Ulster wining manager Kevin Moore and Rainey is anxious to ensure they captilise on the opportunity they have.

"I am probably enjoying it a bit more this time," he revealed, "Eleven years ago, you think, championship finals come around every year and you don't really understand that it doesn't work like that. When you have a good team, a winning team, you think it will never end but of course it does, these things go in cycles. I'm more realistic of that now. At 40 years of age - as every journalist likes to point out - you realise that playing time in finite and it will come to an end at some point, but not just yet.

"I'm trying to help make sure the boys are focused and ready for the game, that we are not just there to make up the numbers or have a nice day out, or the 'Sure we took part' mentality. No, we are going to win this and if it turns out Drumlane are better than us on the day, we will take our hat off to them but we are going to give this a good rattle."

With still five of that 2011 team on the panel, including talismanic forward Lee Moore who hit 1-05 in the Derry final against Ballerin, Rainey says he appreciates his role with the squad has changed over the years.

"I have a completely different role to play compared to 2011," he explained, "Back then I was completely focused on my own game. In 2011 I had a lot of man marking jobs to do and that was my sole focus. It wasn't geeing people up, getting people prepped, anything like that.

"Now it's a bit different. With experience you're able to help others. You have experience of playing the game so while you obviously focus on your own game, there is a role as a captain to try and chat to the younger lads. We have a very young team. Bar myself, Lee (Moore) and a few others, we have an extremely young team with a lot of players in their early 20s so they need to be guided a bit.

"In fairness, when we told them this year 'this is what is required to win championships, this is the work you need to do', they all bought in and that's why we are where we are. So it is a different role, it is chatting to boys and helping to make sure the team is ready mentally.

So after years in the championship wilderness, what's changed for Craigbane in 2022?

"It was a bit of a combination of everything," adds Rainey, "We had a few lean years there, we had boys go to Australia, we had some big characters retire, although we are lucky Kieran McElhinney is back as part of the backroom team, bringing his experience, but when you have big players stepping out of the changing room and very few to bridge the gap in terms of experience, it's difficult.

"It felt like sometimes we were throwing the young lads to the lions but those experiences, even though they were bad experiences - losing heavily in the semi-final last year to Desertmartin, losing the previous final in a close game to Desertmartin - those stand people in good stead. You mightn't realise it at the time but those experiences helped us.

"And, yes, Kevin (Moore) and John McGee and Kieran coming in has really galvanised the squad. People have bought in to the message that you have to put the hard yards in. You have to work, if you don't work, you'll not get any rewards."

The Craigbane captain admits his knowledge of the Cavan champions is limited but he stressed any club that wins their county championship will provide a serious test.

"We have seen some footage of Drumlane but again, you can watch all the videos you want, until you step on to the field and in the first five minutes, then we will know what we are up against.

"People are telling me they are an Intermediate team but that means nothing to me because we fancy ourselves as an Intermediate team too. We’ll see what they’ve got in those first five minutes, it will be an eye opener. We'll see where they’re at and we'll see where we are at."