ENNISKILLEN head coach Alastair Keys took over the reins from Stephen Welsh last summers and he has brought a ‘togetherness’ to the squad says his captain, Stephen Fox.
Enniskillen were within a whisker of winning the league, only to be pipped by league champions Ballyclare with the last kick of the game in the penultimate round.
“The commitment has been fantastic and they’ve just been so consistent all through the season and all the coaching staff would feel the same. The guys have completely bought into all about that.”
Keys’ three sons, Henry, Eddie and Angus are major players in the team and his son Connor, who had to finish his playing career in his early twenties due to too many concussion, is the team coach.
Having his sons involved is something special, admits Alastair;
“That’s been one of the really big things for me – the boys all involved in it. Not just the three guys playing but Connor coaching and working with him. It’s been great.”
It’s a family affair for sure for the Keys family and that stems right back to Alastair’s father, Henry who was a former Enniskillen Rugby captain and later, Club President.
Henry was born in 1937, which was the year Enniskillen had won the trophy previous to their most recent win in 2019. On Monday, 87-year-old Henry will be in Belfast hoping to see the club create another piece of history and watch his grandsons and sons victorious.
Ballymena stands between them and the trophy and coach Keys is expecting a tough game;
“They’re a good side. They beat Dromore away in the semi-final and beat City of Derry in the semi-finals and quarter-finals respectively.
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