Donemana eye unique hat-trick

The Holm men are hoping to secure the trophy for the third year in a row, but there in different form this campaign means they need to improve if they are to see off the Beechgrove side.

“It has been a very up and down season for us,” said Donemana skipper Kee.

“We seem to get going for a couple of matches and then for some reason or another we just don’t perform, but it would be great now if we could get our third Senior Cup final win in a row.

“I don’t know if a hat-trick of wins has ever been done before. I’m sure it has years ago, but in this day and age with cricket being so competitive it would be great.”

Nevertheless captain Richard Kee is hoping their cup form will see them through on the big stage.

“There has been times that we have been playing really, really well and it just so happens to be in the cup, so long may that continue.

“We are in the semi-final of the Ulster Cup where we face Waringstown and we are still going in the Faughan Valley T/20, so it would nice to get to another final if we could.”

Kee also said he expects things to be tight at Strabane this weekend.

“I think it was 20 years or something like that before the two teams met, so to have met three times in a row in the final is unique.

“The last two years it has been two really tight matches, which has swung both ways on each day and if everything goes to plan then it’s going to be another great final for spectators.”

Brigade skipper Gareth McKeegan is hoping his side will be tuned in for both days.

“I think we are a more compact side this year and I think we’ll have learned from our mistakes from last year and hopefully we can rectify that this year,” he said.

“We can’t do what we did last year and have a lapse in concentration, because once you have a lapse in concentration against Donemana, they just walk over the top of you. So we have to be fully concentrated for the full
two days.”

The wicket-keeper also feels his bowling team spear headed by Johnny Thompson and Mark Simpson could make all the difference at Strabane.

“Our bowling has been good all year. In fact, I would say it has been our high point of our season and our batting is starting to come good.

“If we can get a good start, get over the initial opening eight to ten overs then we’ll hopefully be OK, because five, six and seven are power hitters who can boost our innings.

Only last week Brigade secured a comfortable 10 wicket win at the Holm, but skipper Gareth McKeggan doesn’t believe that game will have any bearing on this weekend’s showdown.

“The cup is a different catalysts for Donemana, they are a great cup side,” he added.

“You can’t take anything what happened in the league into Friday’s cup final, because that league match means nothing.”

Admission to final is £5 for adults and £3 concessionary, while Ardmore duo Dermot Ward and Peter Harrigan are umpires and fellow Ardmore man Connie McAllister is third umpire.