Ryan Hanna will lead out Tummery Athletic on Friday night, against Dergview Reserves in the Mulhern Cup final, as they look to win the competition for the first time since 2019.

The Dromore side are still in the hunt for their fourth Mercer League title in a row, despite a 3-2 loss to Lisbellaw last weekend, as well as being in the Mulhern Cup final.

Despite dominating the league in recent years, a cup trophy has eluded player/manager Hanna who is eager to deliver with their last success in the competition coming five years ago in a 3-0 win over Kesh.

“The last final the club had was in 2019,” he said.

“Since that, we’ve been a really good league side but we haven’t actually made that transition into the cup competitions so that was a real important focus for us as a squad this year.

"We obviously attack everything we’re in, but the real aim was to get to those cup finals and, I suppose, make a real impact on them like we have in the Mercer League the past few years and we have an opportunity to do that on Friday night which the lads are busting to get going and have another game at Ferney.”

Tummery sealed their place in this year’s final with a penalty shootout win over familiar foes Enniskillen Rangers at Ferney Park just days on from Rangers' 3-1 win over Hannah's side in the Junior Cup semi-final.

“We showed real resilience and character,” he added.

“Clichés and words that are always thrown around, but we did show that in bags on the semi-final night considering how Rangers played for 55-60 minutes.

"For us then to show the character to take the game to them then, after a few changes were made, and for parts of that second half and extra time being the better side, that was really encouraging because there was obviously a lot of talk around the game and the lads were fully focused on what they could do, and, in the end, [it was] great to get the win.

"It’s a horrible way to lose but a great way to win. I’m delighted but really looking forward to the final now.”

Tummery will face off on Friday night against last year’s Junior Cup champions Dergview Reserves having already come out on top in their Junior Cup clash earlier in the season.

The Castlederg side advanced into tomorrow's Mulhern final seeing off Kesh, in the quarter-final, and Augher Stars, in the semi-final, in the last three weeks.

“Thankfully I had an opportunity to go down and watch the semi-final between Dergview Reserves and Augher,” Hanna added.

“We had a great battle with Dergview in the league two seasons ago when we went at it hammer and tongs, in what went right up to the last game of the season.

"We know their qualities and we know their team has changed since then. But after that last year, they showed their cup pedigree by winning the Junior Cup. They’ve been there and done it on the big stage.

"They're a team full of experience and a glittering youth. Ivan (Sproule) was excellent the other night, the likes of Ashley Lowry, Collie Robinson, Johnny McKeown is back, all experienced players but there’s a glittering of younger lads with Sam Sproule, young (Kevin) McGuigan, (Jack) King.

"That’s what it takes, the balance of experience and youth. We know them. We’ve played them plenty of times over the last couple of seasons so it’s gonna be a real ding-dong match. 

"Obviously, we played them in the Junior this year and one goal separated us over the 90 minutes.

"We’re expecting the exact same. Not to be an inch given and both teams will give everything so really looking forward to it and the lads will be raring to go at 7.30pm this week.”