As Slaughtneil put the final touches to their preparations for Tuesday's All-Ireland club SFC final against Corofin, Francis McEldowney takes particular encouragement from the fierce competition for places which exists within the squad.

"There are boys who are playing out of their skins to get onto the team," the former Derry star states in the Irish News.

"Every night down there it is hell for leather. There are nights you couldn't tell which team was which."

While accepting that the Emmet's are underdogs, the captain says they are going to Croke Park to win.

"They are the favourites and they will probably be the best team we have played. But Ballinderry are a good team. Dungiven are a good team. Omagh were a great team. We needed a big performance to get over Omagh. Austin Stacks were another good team. Every team is different.

"It's another game. It's a championship game. We just have to prepare for it like we have prepared for the other games. Then, we just have to give it our best shot."

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