Omagh CBS v Abbey CBS, O’Neill Park Dungannon, tonight (Thursday), 7.15pm
The final of the Danske Bank Rannafast Cup takes place this evening at O’Neill Park in Dungannon when Omagh CBS and Abbey CBS will go head-to-head to decide the destination of the silverware.
Before a ball was kicked in this season’s competition these were the two fancied sides to get this far as they met in the Oisin McGrath decider back in March and Omagh CBS will start as favourites to repeat that success.
If Omagh manage to do that they will create their own piece of history as no other side within the school has managed to win the Dalton, Corn na Og, Oisin McGrath and Rannafast titles in successive seasons.
Omagh have certainly looked impressive on their march to the decider comfortably seeing off the challenge of St. Patricks Academy Dungannon and St. Pats Cavan in the previous two rounds. In that semi final win over Cavan the standout player for Omagh was Peter Garrity with 4-7 to his name with Peter Colton, Cathal Farley, Ryan Baxter, Paudie Goodman and team Captain Diarmuid Martin other key players for the Tyrone lads.
Abbey were impressive when beating St. Pats Maghera in the last eight on a 3-9 to 1-6 scoreline before accounting for Down rivals St. Marks Warrenpoint last day out. In that semi final it was nip and tuck throughout with neither side managing to score in the opening quarter.
Abbey did finish the game strongly with four unanswered points to win 0-11 to 0-5 but an improvement will be required if they are to upset the odds here. The likes of Odhran Reel, Keelan McEntee, Ryan O’Hare, Ethan Lavelle and Darragh Phillips will help spearhead their challenge but a slick moving Omagh CBS side are tipped to take the silverware.