Bet on Black for Valley to lift the Towns' cup

Editorial Department • Published 1 Apr 2010 12:02 0 Comments

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Don't look back in anger...Clogher coach David Black will be looking for a season's best performance from his charges to win Monday's Towns' Cup final.<<

Overcoming the unexpected in sport is often what sorts out the champions from the contenders and that is exactly where Clogher Valley find themselves as they count down to Monday's Powerade Towns' Cup final at Ravenhill.

Little did coach Davy Black think that when the final was assigned for Monday, April 5 that his training session on the previous Tuesday would have to be cancelled due a full day of incessant snow in the Fermanagh and Tyrone area. And while injury is part and parcel of this most combative of sports, he had not actually figured on taking to the field on Monday without influential scrum half James Bates who broke a bone in his shoulder in the win over Bangor on Saturday.

But then again it has been one of those seasons at the Valley, little did Davy think he would actually be coach at the start of the year or even halfway through it but he is. Getting on with it is how they do it at the Valley and Davy is hoping that the preparations will progress well despite the setbacks of recent days.

"We had hoped to get in three nights good of training but now we will have to settle for Thursday and Saturday to get ready for Monday's game. There was just no way we could have trained on Tuesday. The injury to James is a blow not only for the club but for him personally. He has great experience and is very vocal on the pitch but the club is also lucky to have players waiting on the sideline of the calibre of Aaron Best and Lester Weir. We will get on with the task in hand and Jimmy will be on the sideline beside me and will be a great help in that respect," explained Davy who first played for the club 13 years ago, in 2000 was club captain and now ten years on he is coaching the club in their third Towns' Cup final in five years.

Davy played in the heartbreaking loss to Coleraine in 2006 in one of his final outings as a player but has always remained in and about the club. When the post of coach became vacant mid-season, he stepped up and now he has a Towns' Cup final in his first six months in the post. He has experienced both ends of the Towns' Cup joy and disappointment as has several of his players. He hopes that experience will be a telling factor. "I think we have about ten players who played in those two Towns' Cup finals and I hope the experience will be important and help us do the business on Monday."

Clogher Valley only learned who their opponents would be on Saturday when Ballymoney defeated Dungannon 2nd XV. Davy welcomed that in that they know their fellow qualifying one very well this season following two narrow defeats. As such then, his team will need little motivating.

"We know exactly what problems Ballymoney will present and they beat us narrowly twice in the league, so the boys should need little motivation. We would respect them but not fear but we also know that we will have to play at the top end of our ability to win the game. If we don't then Ballymoney are good enough to win. In Jason Taggart they have one of the best second rows in Junior rugby and they have a good kicker, so we will need to keep the penalty count down as well," revealed Davy. He also likes the make-up of his own team with his strong, compact pack hopefully going to lay the foundations for plenty of good territory which he hopes his backs can finish off.

"I think our pack and team plays with great heart and I hope that is the case on Monday. We are not going to make up the numbers and hopefully it will be a good game. The team also enjoys great support, it is a real family club and that support is very important to all of us. The plan on Monday will be to bring the cup back to the Valley," concluded Davy.

Bus lists are in the Jubilee Bar and a large support is expected to Ravenhill on Monday for the 2.30pm kick-off. As Davy said, Clogher Valley will be take large numbers with them to Clogher Valley but they are not going there to make up the numbers - it should be quite a game.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 01 Apr 10

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