Lisbellaw Manager David Teague acknowledges that it would be a massive boost for the club if they could go on and land the Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship crown when they take on Banagher in the final on Saturday in Omagh.

The ’Law tasted their first championship win in nine years when they defeated Newry Shamrocks in the quarter final and they followed that up with a fine victory over Carrickmore in the semis.

And now they hope to go on and get their hands on the silverware on Saturday.

“It would be unbelievable. Before this year, we would have lads who are 24 years old but hadn’t actually won a championship game with Lisbellaw. That last year that we won it – 2012 – was the last year that we actually won a championship game, which is hard to believe, so it would mean everything.

“We are a tiny club, I think there is 100 and something adult members – and it would just mean the world to us and it would also encourage other young lads to get out and take up a hurl. It would be beneficial to the whole club in every way,” said Teague.

However, he knows that they face a tough test against the Derry champions, Banagher.

“Just looking at Banagher, they started in the Derry Senior championship and they came second in their group behind Slaughtneil, so after that they went on to win the Intermediate competition, so they will be the best quality side that we have faced yet but it is up to us. We have the quality ourselves to match them and beat them,” he added.

Lisbellaw produced a superb second-half display as they blew away the challenge of Carrickmore in the second final, but Teague accepts that won’t do on Saturday.

He knows that they need to be on top of their game for the full game.

“If we manage in the final to put two halves together like that second half against Carrickmore, then we are going to be a hard team to beat and we are fully confident that we can do that.

“It will take putting two halves together, we need a full match performance – that’s the most important thing.

“There is no room for us to be sluggish in the first half like we have been, and you want the 20 men who will be involved to be right at the top of their game,” stated Teague.

The ’Law Manager reveals that they do have a couple of injury concerns ahead of the decider but he is hoping that they are both passed fit for the final.

“The two players who had to come off in the semi-final, John Duffy and Dylan Bannon, are back just running at this stage but they haven’t been able to take part in any games, so it will be tight but we are hopeful.”

Teague knows though that if they don’t make it, that they have the strength in depth to cover for that loss, with the Manager believing that this is the strongest Lisbellaw squad he has been involved with.

“From the start we had 30 or so at training, which is not something that I had seen before, and the quality of this squad was really good and it got to the point were it was about showing it on championship day, and thankfully so far we have been able to do that.

“There are men there who were playing for Fermanagh when they won the Lory Meagher Cup this year, but aren’t starting for Lisbellaw.

‘Massive competition’

“There is massive competition for places – you have young boys like Micheal Flanagan in particular who is in his first year at adult hurling, and has been starting at corner back and he is flying.

“When you have men coming in and making a difference, it is hard to beat.”

And he says that at this stage they are just eager to get going.

“We can’t wait, to be honest. We knew since the semi-final that Christmas was going to be a busy time and as soon as that Carrickmore game was over we put our schedule down and we have just been flat-out since. We’re looking forward to it,” he said.