Veteran Burleigh wants fourth Junior Cup in seven years

Enniskillen Rangers’ Willie Burleigh will be hoping to lift his fourth IFA Junior Cup when he and his teammates take to the field on Friday evening against Cleary Celtic in Dungannon.

The 36-year-old captained Rangers to all three Junior Cup successes from 2017 to 2019 and was there in 2020 as they missed out on a fourth title in a row after losing 5-3 on penalties to Willowbank.

Burleigh stepped away from action last season but was convinced into making a return in mid-Janaury by boss Michael Kerr to, at the time, aid in the club’s hunt for a treble.

“The knees were giving me bother and at the time it (playing) was taking up. Michael (Kerr) was trying to get someone signed, he didn’t beg me, but he tried to persuade me to come back in,” Burleigh laughed.

“Over Christmas, he asked me to come in for two games, I gave him the two games and then I committed for three months. It’s four months now at this stage, as I do tell him.”

Rangers are still on the hunt for a league and cup double after being knocked out of the Mulhern Cup semi-final by Tummery Athletic.

They booked their place in this year’s Junior final with a win over the Dromore side, following a lengthy appeal process that swayed back and forth.

They also meet their familiar foes in the league where a win would seal the Mercer League title but it also means there won’t be time for elaborate celebrations if they win this Friday.

“That’s the unfortunate bit,” he added. “To win the biggest cup in Northern Ireland, in junior football, and not being able to celebrate it over the league fixtures going on a month too long, it should be over at the end of April.

"The league decider should maybe be in May, the first week of May, but it’s definitely going on too long in the year.

"When we played first, there was no playing in May, it was all played in April. We would have normally played in Windsor, but the appeal held that up and it didn’t suit.”

Speaking on the appeal controversy, Burleigh said: “We had stayed positive and were kinda still a bit confident of getting back in, it was a silly rule to start with that should have never been overturned.

"It had no effect at all on the game.”

The forward heaped plenty of praise on his teammate's commitment and work rate, crediting those attributes as the reason for the club’s success this season.

The Enniskillen side will feature several new faces making their first appearance in a Junior Cup final, with the experienced Burleigh adding it’s all about getting the basics right, to begin with, to help dissolve any pre-match nerves.

“There are a couple of young lads who should be a wee bit nervous, it’s a big game, as big a game as you’re going to get at this level,” he continued.

“I was nervous myself back then going into these big games. It’s just how you can handle it. Get your first touch, get your first tackle, whatever you’re doing, just get it done within the first lock of minutes and settle yourself into the game.”

Rangers’ squad of players will have a first look at opponents Cleary Celtic at training this week, having agreed not to discuss them before being re-instated back into the final, but Burleigh is hoping a win over the Newry side will kickstart a silverware-laden five days for the club.