Soccer – League Cup Final Preview

 

Familiar foes to battle it out under lights at Maginn

 

By Johnny Craig

 

Inishowen football’s old firm will bid to claim the first silverware of the season at Maginn Park this Sunday in the final of the William Grant West End League Cup (Kick off 6pm).

Holders Clonmany Shamrocks will take on League Champions Redcastle United under floodlights in a repeat of last season’s decider which ended in a penalty shootout victory for the Shamrock Park outfit.

While over familiarity has meant recent games between the top two in the League are often tight affairs where each side cancels out the other’s advances, they are also enthralling games between two talented teams who desperately want to win.

Both sides aren’t short of motivation going into Sunday’s decider.

Clonmany will want to avenge their League defeat at Redcastle this season where Redcastle keeper Gerard Crossan produced heroics to guarantee his side’s victory.

While Redcastle are bidding to win their first cup final in ten attempts with Clonmany twice denying them victory in finals at HQ last season.

This year’s decider has been brought forward from April to ease fixture congestion and Clonmany boss Martin Cavanagh believes that decision is a positive one.

“I think it’s a good idea as it gives us something to focus on early in the season and it will give some of our players a first opportunity to play a final under lights,” he said.

Sharmocks have been galvanised by the return of midfielder Paddy Doherty from Finn Harps but Cavanagh admits they will miss the mercurial talents of Stephen McLaughlin who has made a big impression since his own move to Finn Park.

“There isn’t a team in the league who wouldn’t miss a talent like Stephen and I think that’s been reflected in us only scoring four goals in four league games this season.”

Many of the players involved in Sunday’s final would have played alongside each other in the Inishowen League select side who played Galway in the Oscar Traynor Interleague tournament, but Cavanagh doesn’t expect that to have an impact on Sunday’s game.

“These players have experience of finals before and the fact that ten of the starting 11 on Saturday were from the two clubs won’t be a factor.

“The crowd at Saturday’s game was dissappointing but I have no doubt that the Clonmany support will be strong as always and hopefully the unique occasion of a final under lights at Maginn will bring out a big crowd as it did in the last League Cup final.”

For Redcastle skipper Jimmy Gallagher their motivation for Sunday is straightforward.

“Its about time we won a cup final,” he told the Inish Times.

“We know we haven’t performed in our previous deciders. Its difficult to pinpoint what goes wrong for is in finals, we beat teams well to get there but we just seem to freeze on the big day.

“We know how strong Clonmany are by now but we believe we have the quality to beat them. Eddie McIntyre has returned to the club and is playing well as is new signing Ryan McMonagle and striker Charlie McCormick is close to full fitness now and he could play a part in Sunday’s final too.

“We’re obviously big rivals but that only exists on the pitch and