BANGOR have some unfinished business to attend to on Tuesday afternoon as they prepare to face Raphoe in the Linden Cup final at Deramore Park.
The seasiders are still smarting from the memory of last season’s showpiece in which they experienced the pain of missing out on the silverware.
But Bangor know that Raphoe, who are Senior One leaders, will not be an easy proposition and they can reflect on a 5-0 win over Tuesday’s opponents in Donegal earlier in the season.
However the Co Down side will be happy that it is their opponents and not themselves who have to make the long journey although they are used to travelling as Ulster hockey’s most remote outpost.
“It’s a very difficult place to go to and Raphoe are a big strong physical side who are particularly dangerous at set-pieces.” said Bangor’s leading scorer Simon Hunter.
“But we did beat them at home in the group stages of the Linden Cup and we have ben doing quite well in the league.
“It’s much of a muchness as far as the top four sides are concerned - Raphoe, North Down, Newry and ourselves.
“But we aren’t really aiming to go back up to the Premier League at this stage as it’s more a time of consolidation.
“It’s a brutal step up in class playing the likes of Banbridge and Cookstown so we are happy where we are with a cup final to look forward to.
“It will be a quiet New Year’s Eve but it will be worth it if we can bring the trophy back to Bangor.
“It’s been so long that none of the current squad can remember the last time the club lifted a cup.”
Tuesay’s schedule (Deramore Park): Sussex Regiment Cup final: Parkview v PSNI (1pm); Linden Cup final: Bangor v Raphoe (3pm).
Comments