A “knackered” Danny Frazer dedicated Bangor Young Men’s success to two men close to his heart after the newly-crowned Cochrane Corry Cup champions burnished a brilliant season with promotion to 2A on Saturday.
And but for a dogged rearguard action in the closing half hour of their game at home to title rivals Beann Mhadaghain, they might have gone up as champions, eventually having to settle for a 1-1 draw and second place.
Heading into the last two weeks of the season, the treble was on for the Bloomfield Playing Fields outfit who also had a Junior Cup final to contest. That feat was always a long shot, however, and a cup plus promotion is more than enough to satisfy Frazer and co ahead of an assault on 2A next season.
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Frazer was beaming with pride as he spoke to Match on Tuesday over the weekend, but took time to dedicate the club’s recent achievements to two late and long-serving club legends, his father Norman Frazer and friend Dougie McOwat. “That was for them,” he said.
And reflecting on a marathon season which saw them claim honours as well as their number one target, promotion, he added: “I’m knackered, it’s the longest week of my life, honestly.
“I loved it but I’m so glad it’s over, I’m shattered.”
Frazer’s exhaustion is understandable. Heading into last week, the Junior Cup, the Cochrane Corry and the 2B title were all up for grabs.
Coalisland Athletic proved too strong for them at Windsor last Monday, but the Young Men dug deep three days later to see off the challenge of Willowbank, who equalised with the last kick of the ball to send the tie into penalties.
And all that drama two days before a league shootout with Beann Mhadaghain, their first objective for the season after all.
“I always thought the Cochrane Corry was a good chance to win something, but I never would have dreamed of the Junior Cup, I’d be lying to you if I said I was because I never thought we’d get that far in it,” added Frazer.
“Promotion was all we wanted at the start of the season but do you know what, I really thought we could have won it on Saturday there to be honest.
“But here, fair play to them, a good club, I’ve a lot of time for them too, and the table doesn’t lie at the end of the day.
“And to be fair to them, the year before Covid, they should have won it, it wasn’t fair to the them, so it has probably worked itself out, they deserved it.”
Now, once the dust settles, and beyond next week’s club getaway to Spain, thoughts turn to 2A, with Frazer adamant his side will compete once again.
“We’re all going away next week as a club together, and then after that, we can’t wait to get back at it,” he said.
“We’ll go into it trusting the players who got us here but a few of the older ones are retiring so I’ve already got another four guys to come in straight away so we’ll be stronger again.”
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