Reaching the Steel & Sons Cup showpiece decider, which is famously held on December 25, is the dream for every intermediate team when they start their respective campaigns in early-August.

However, only two sides now remain with Robinson’s Dunmurry setting up a showdown against St James’ Swifts after beating Dromara Village in Monday’s semi-final – Thomas Burns’ strike in the dying seconds sealed a 2-1 victory at Seaview.

"It's one of the best feelings I've had in a long, long time,” Robinson, who manages the team alongside Paul Ewart, told the News Letter. “I spent most of my career playing in Mid-Ulster and our finals were generally on Boxing Day, so I’ve never had this opportunity before.

"Years ago when I had young kids I would have been saying ‘this isn’t for me’, but now my kids are grown up, we're all absolutely buzzing for the Christmas Day final.

"I have a lot of friends, even if their teams aren't in the final, it's always something they would have done with parents, it's a tradition for them.

"I know a lot of people would do that every Christmas morning, go to the final, no matter who's playing in it...there should be some crowd at it.”

Founded in 1955, this year has been one of firsts for Dunmurry YM, who sealed promotion to NAFL’s Premier Division ahead of the current term and are now entering a maiden Steel & Sons Cup decider.

When former Loughgall goalkeeper Robinson first arrived at Napier Park, the picture looked slightly different with the club battling for survival in the Amateur League’s third-tier and narrowly avoiding the nightmare scenario of folding.

Dunmurry YM are still around to tell the tale largely due to their supporters digging deep to secure the club’s future – and Robinson now wants to deliver for them on the biggest stage.

"This is the very first time the club has reached the final,” added Robinson. “As Paul was saying in the changing room, we'll go down in history.

"I really don't think about it for myself, Paul doesn't think like that either, it would just be nice for the players and the club to do it.

"The club has come a long way from nearly folding 10 or 12 years ago...it was that bad at one point.

"The supporters had to help the club, they pulled together and put money in to keep the club afloat.

"I signed nine years ago and we were sitting struggling at the bottom of 1B, and now look where we are.

"Paul joined me two years ago, the two of us together have helped bring the club to the Premier Division.

"To see where the club has actually come from, what they were on the brink of, to get to this point of going to the biggest final...it's been hard to get here, but hopefully this is only the start of it.”