Lacken enter the unknown with a clean bill of health

Damian McCarney Lacken have a relatively clean bill of health as they face Derry Intermediate Champions Swatragh in the first game of an Ulster Club Championships double header at Kingspan Breffni Park on Sunday. The news comes as a blessing as Lacken are competing just eight days after beating Cootehill 3-10 to 1-9 to claim the intermediate crown. Manager Jason O'Reilly told the Celt that he wasn't happy to have to face the Derry outfit, who have enjoyed a two week break, so soon, but accepted they had "no choice in the matter". However O'Reilly, who is in only his first season of management, noted that Swatragh has had hurling committments recently. "They have had two weeks of a break but they were playing hurling at the weekend and they have a couple of dual players." Asked for a summary of the squad going into Sunday's game - which has a 1.45pm throw-in - Jason told the Celt: "Terry Hyland will be injured; Kevin Shanaghy is back from suspension. We have a few knocks, but nothing major thank God." He said the team was confident going into the Ulster Intermediate Championships. "I suppose we're expecting the unexpected," said the former county star. "We have played a few challenge matches with teams from outside the county and we've performed well when we haven't known what they'd be like. That's a bonus, but when you're winning you don't pass much remarks on who you're playing. You are on a high winning the county final, so it is just a matter of bringing it back down to earth and doing what we do best." What's the key to Lacken's success? "Hard work is a big key to it, and a never say die attitude - we kept that until the final whistle in the Crosserlough match the first day and the Cootehill match the second day and in a few of the league matches we were down to 14 men and kept at it." Sunday's second match sees Mullahoran take on Errigal Ciaran of Tyrone in the AIB Ulster Club Senior Football Championship. Throw-in at 3.30pm.