Banbridge and Lisnagarvey go head-to-head for the third time in little over a week when they contest the Kirk Cup Final at Comber Road this evening.
With Banbridge having lifted the Champions Trophy last Sunday, it was Lisnagarvey who were crowned champions of the Irish Senior Cup with a narrow win over the weekend.
Banbridge progressed through the group stage with two big wins over North Down and Queen’s University before a comfortable 4-0 semi-final win over Belfast Harlequins with goals from Philip Brown, Josh Brownlee, James Evans and Adam McKee.
Scott McCandless’s side have also progressed to the semi-finals of the Anderson Cup in recent weeks with a 4-1 win against Kilkeel last week.
That means should they win tonight they are still on for a potential quadruple in the 2023/24 season in what has been a remarkable year for the club once more.
However, they face stiff competition in this evenings fixture as EuroHockey Club Trophy I champions Lisnagarvey look to win the Kirk Cup for a third year in a row.
Garvey themselves have had another successful season and will be hoping to win the Kirk Cup for a third year in a row and for a record 34th time.
Should they win it for a third successive season it will also be the first time a side has done so since they last did it themselves between 1997 and 1999.
Erroll Lutton’s side progressed from a group consisting of Annadale, Bangor and South Antrim before a semi-final victory against Premier League champions Cookstown.
It was in that game that they nearly exited the competition having trailed 1-0 until the thrid quarter, however, a hat-trick from Andrew Edgar, two from Oliver Kidd and another from John Cunningham sealed a 6-2 win.
That result has now set up tonight’s final clash against their fierce rivals with the action set to get underway at 8:15 at Comber Road.
Spectators should also be aware there will be a gate fee of £8 for adults and £6 for children at the event.
PHOTO: Front Row Union
