*Niall McMahon and Michael Nash jump for the ball as Aidan McGrath and Conor O’Brien await the break. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
SUNDAY’s Cusack Cup final is episode two in the triology of battles between neighbours Éire Óg and St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield this season.
On the June Bank Holiday weekend, Éire Óg recorded a 3-20 1-16 win over St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield to seal their spot in the willwego.com Cusack Cup in the final round of group matches.
Clarecastle hosts Sunday’s decider which has a 12pm start while the clubs are also set to face off in the second round of the Clare senior football championship on August 2nd.
Éire Óg are seeking to bridge a twenty two year gap to their last Cussck Cup success while their neighbours are chasing success in this competition for the first time in the club’s history, The Parish have only contested this final once, losing to the club they beat in the semi-final, Kilmurry Ibrickane back in 2012.
“Our target setting out this season was to seal our place in division 1 and to blood some new young players. I am very happy with the progress and it’s great to be in the final. Progress to this stage of the competition avoids us having to be looking for challenge games in the lead up to the championship”, St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield manager Donagh Vaughan told The Clare Echo.
Reigning county champions Éire Óg are eager to claim more silverware, manager Shane Daniels outlined. “We are obviously keen to win the title. We used the league to find some new players for the panel and we are happy that we have given game time to a number of young players. It’s great to have competitive games like this with the championship fast approaching. We had a few challenges planned but we can cancel these now that we are in the final”. He noted, “both teams were missing players when we met a few weeks ago”.
Gavin Cooney and Éinne O’Connor haven’t been part of the Éire Óg panel in this campaign as both are out of the country. Gavin D’Auria is not available this week as he is abroad, the manager confirmed.
They have got to this final without inter county men Manus Doherty, Ronan Lanigan, Gavin Murray, Mark McInerney, Ikem Ugwueru, Colm Walsh O’Loghlen and Oran Cahill. Manager Daniels said they plan to give them a “a few weeks off ahead of the championship after their long season with the county”.
Dara O’Shea is unlikely to be available to St Joseph’s due to a hamstring injury. “We won’t know for definite until later in the week who is available. We will have a few players back that weren’t with us when we played them a few weeks ago, players like Nikki Hardiman and Eoghan Boyle. Unfortunately we have a good few injuries at the moment”, Vaughan flagged.
They have some very impressive young talent in their squad and they will be looking to Tom O’Brien, James and Tom Curran, Michael Nash, Liam Clune, Odhran O’Connell, Tom McDonald and Paddy Bugler to lead the way.
Éire Óg have a good mix of youth and experience. Ciaran Russell, Aaron Fitzgerald, Dean Ryan, Philip Talty, Barry Ryan provide experience while Luke Pyne and Jack Joyce have been very impressive throughout this campaign.
Doora/Barefield’s form has been inconsistent throughout the campaign and if they can produce one of their better days it should make for a good contest. Éire Óg carry the favourites tag and they will be fancied to be a few points ahead at the final whistle.
