MUNSTER CLUB HURLING FINAL: After an ignominious year for Roscommon football, the emergence of Strokestown as provincial championship contenders has been an unlikely source of consolation and pride.

Without a single county representative and playing intermediate football as recently as three years ago, Strokestown would have been a long odds bet to make it as far as the last two in Connacht.

Strokestown GAA came into existence as early as 1886 and since then they have weathered out a staunch and modest existence, like the majority of clubs in the west of Ireland.

Tomorrow, the 2002 generation of players will become just the third Roscommon team ever to contest a Connacht club final. Against Mayo's Crossmolina, with their rich cabinet of silverware, they will be strictly outsiders.

"That is the way it has been the whole way along," says manager Pat Doorey, the man generally credited with Strokestown's reversal of fortune. "Crossmolina are second favourites to win the All-Ireland, they have been their before, they have a great manager in John Maughan and obviously Ciaran McDonald is one of the most naturally gifted forwards around. We set our sights on this goal earlier in the year and all we can do now is our best."

When Doorey was invited to train the team, he accepted in the belief that they had greatly under-achieved in previous years. Not sleeping giants, exactly, but capable of at least honestly competing for a first county title since 1992. Then, early this summer, they went out against St Aidan's and their illusions were torn to shreds. "Six or seven points, I can't even remember what the score was," says Doorey.

"We were abysmal, never in contention. Collectively, it set us back because we had prepared and it just wasn't there. But we met the next morning and asked ourselves which way we wanted to go."

There is a loser's round, an escape hatch, in Roscommon and benefiting from that, Strokestown began to string a few results together and eventually defeated St Brigid's by 2-11 to 0-11 in the final. After such a gap, most teams would be content to rest on their laurels.

"Well, our fellas did celebrate long and hard over the next few nights as I felt they were entitled to but when we did regroup we still had the belief to give the club championship an honest go," says Doorey.

The next outing was against Sligo representatives Eastern Harps in Markievicz Park, a dour game on a dour and blustery day. The visitors toiled for a 0-7 to 0-2 lead at the break and then hung on as Harps inevitably reeled them in through the second half. The score stood at seven points each in the final seconds when Emmet Collins immortalised himself by finishing a move that involved at least seven players, clipping the ball over the bar for a win. That Sunday night in Strokestown turned into Monday morning and onwards.

There are only about 900 people living in the town and about 70 players make up the junior, intermediate and senior teams. Doorey, a former Roscommon senior player, estimates he has met up with the team for 140 sessions since the last night of January.

All of the seniors except for Peter McGinty, who was born in Belcoo, went to Scoil Mhuire national school and developed as a team through the grades. And it is not fully true to say they are a team devoid of county names; Damien Donlon was Ros's first choice full back for a number of seasons and played with enough distinction to earn an All-Star nomination. It was that sort of pedigree that Doorey knew he could tap into.

Doorey is surprised, a bit exhausted but primarily pleased to be making the twice and thrice weekly journey to Strokestown for training 10 months after he introduced himself. The structure makes the All-Ireland club competition ludicrously long. The pity is that they have to play the biggest game in club history at this time of year, in wretched weather.

"I understand how congested the fixtures get," says Doorey, "but on principle I wouldn't be a supporter of playing at this time of year. It can make a lottery of the game and really makes it difficult for teams to play attractive football. But it's the exact same for Crossmolina."

A Strokestown win on Sunday would be big news for football in a county that has too little to shout about for far too long. Has Doorey contemplated what it would mean to the parish? "Haven't entertained the idea," he laughs. "Not at the moment. We are just concentrating on the game."