The Trim Celtic players and management celebrate with the Challenge Cup.

'There are so many winners in this club'

CHALLENGE CUP FINAL REACTION

The statistics are undeniably impressive. Outstanding even.

Trim Celtic have now achieved the double double following Saturday's 1-0 win pver Quay Celtic in the Challenge Cup final. League and cup titles in successive years.

In the last year alone they have won five trophies - the cup and league twice and the Leinster Junior Cup.

There's another statistic that highlights the momentous achievements of the club under the indomitable, the clever manager Robbie Horgan.

That statistic was outlined by Trim Celtic captain James Goggins after Saturday's victory. Standing on the neatly manicured Weavers Park pitch just minutes after accepting the trophy, Goggins explained how he has now played for Trim Celtic for 14 years but during the first six of those he won nothing. Zilch.

"Now I'm after winning five in the space of 12 months, it's mad. It's a great purple patch and let's hope it continues. We want to do well in the competitions like the FAI Junior Cup"

With Queen's ageless and timely classic - 'We are the Champions' - blasting out of the sound system, Goggins outlined why he feels Trim Celtic are now in the midst of a glittering spell. But what keeps the players hungry and hunting for more success, week after week, game after game. Apart from a brief spell last Christmas the Hoops have been on the road on a never-ending journey.

"There are so many winners in the club, people like Conor Walsh, Ger Murray, Brian Faulkner, lads who just want to keep winning, winning, winning. Everybody keeps asking how do we do it but Robbie (Horgan) keeps freshening things up, he keeps bringing in new players. That's part of it as well - and training is always good.

"We have a massive squad as well, the bench is full of lads who could start themselves week in, week out so if you get a place on the starting 11 you have to make sure you do your level best to hold onto that position. If you lose it you might not get it back."

So competitiveness is a big factor but there was something else the team showed on Saturday that helped them across the line. Their ability to conjure up that little piece of magic to ensure they won the day. To find a way to win a game.

"We were really under the cosh at times, especially in the closing stages. Everyone said we were massive favourites going into this game (Trim Celtic had beaten Quay 5-0 earlier in the season) but we knew we weren't. We didn't start well. We struggled on, but it's part of our make up now, finding different ways to win. We had to do just that today.

"The goal was special, Quay could have two or three goalkeepers but they wouldn't have stopped Adam's (Fox) strike. He has that in his locker, he said he knew as soon the ball left his boot he knew it was going in.

That's something what it takes to win a game, a bit of magic."