THERE aren’t many times Neil Forester isn’t buzzing when he’s talking about football and Steelstown’s Ulster championship run has taken it to a new level.
After narrowly seeing off Cloughaneely in the preliminary round, the skipper called for the biggest performance as they put their plans in place to take on a fancied Donaghmoyne side.
Two games later, they are flying his and Saturday’s convincing win over Butlersbridge catapulted them into an Ulster final.
“Our good habits that we have being going in training are starting to kick in,” said Forester.
“We have been pushing each other hard in training and holding a high standard. You can’t let up at Ulster level because you’ll get caught, there are too many good players.”
Eradicating mistakes is one of the reasons for their rich vein of form. So too is the realisation of needing to make hay when the sun shines.
Now up to the senior championship for next season, the club’s long-term ambition is to become an established senior club after their previous stint in the top flight didn’t last.
It also means it could be their one chance at an Ulster title. Forester recalls Diarmuid Baker, one of their young guns, making a comment in the midst of their county final celebrations that struck a chord. Steelstown needed to treat their Ulster campaign like a golden ticket.
"It shows the ambition of some of the young boys,” recalls Forester.
“He said we might never be back here again. If things go well, we might be playing senior football for the next five to 10 years.
“For older boys like me and Ryan (Devine) it was definitely going to our last crack at it.”
While he might be the skipper and the team’s heartbeat, Forester is thriving on the energy from the young players coming into the ranks, some of which he coached in their underage days.
He also references Ryan Devine as ‘a real big leader’ in the squad.
“He is in the form of his life recently,” Forester added. “It is easy when you have a few good leaders in the group and everybody is pushing towards the same goal.”
With every word, Neil Forester’s voice dances even faster. You soon see where his on-field energy comes from.
He is enthused about how their attacking brand of football is not letting up and how recent games have put them on the map.
They are no longer that team of promise that will win a championship. That box has been ticked. But he is a realist. On the Ulster stage, they have yet to take home the silver.
“It is good that we have had good performances, but that will all be forgotten about if we don’t bring a performance to the final against Moortown,” he said.
“They are going to be a very different opposition to what we have faced now. They are so solid at the back.
“Donaghmoyne and Butlersbridge left a bit more space for us and when you get that momentum, it is hard to stop.”
For Forester and Steelstown, the hope is that they have one more big performance in the tank for the biggest day in the club’s short history.
