On Thursday, March 16th, Campbell College and Wallace High School will compete in the final of the John Minnis Burney Cup at Stormont’s Playball pitches. This highly anticipated boys’ senior schools hockey decider will mark the first time the two sides have met since the group stages of the McCullough Cup, where Wallace emerged victorious with a comfortable 4-0 win. Despite their prior success, previous form is expected to have little bearing on this week’s match. Wallace’s coach, Gareth Kidd, believes his young team is well-prepared for the challenge and is looking forward to the occasion. Similarly, Wallace’s captain, Josh Kamalarajah, is confident that his team will be able to deliver the result they have been working towards, adding “It’s been a long process and reaching the final is a great way to end the season – we’ve all spoken to each other and we know how much we want it. We want to win it – we’ve been giving it stacks all season and it would be amazing if we could go out there and get the result.”
Although Wallace has enjoyed greater success in the Burney Cup in recent years, Campbell College has risen to the top of its tough group stages before securing their place in the final by defeating Bangor Grammar School 2-0 in the semi-finals. Damien Styles, Master in Charge of Hockey at Campbell College, attributes the team’s success to their hard work and the guidance of their new coach, Jonny Carron. Captain Lawson Adams added that, despite a rough start to the season, the team has made great strides and is determined to give it their all in the final.
The John Minnis Burney Cup has been proudly supported by John Minnis Estate Agents as the headline sponsor for several years. John Minnis, the company director, is thrilled to see the event continue to grow in popularity and is excited to see who will emerge victorious in this year’s final.
The match will be held on Thursday, March 16th, with pushback at 7:30 pm at Stormont’s Playball Pitches.
