Omagh ladies hoping to complete treble

OMAGH Hockey Club ladies firsts are hoping to bring the curtain down on an already hugely successful campaign with a third piece of silverware.

Having already annexed the Senior One League and Cup double during a hectic 2022-23 season, the local ladies will try their best to make it a treble on Sunday when they take on the fancied University of Galway at UCD in the Irish Hockey Trophy final.

Strangely, despite going in as double winners, Omagh are probably slight underdogs ahead of the showpiece against a Galway side who play in the EY Hockey League second division, which is currently two divisions above the Tyrone side.

And the fact that there aren’t any expectations weighing on Omagh’s collective shoulders isn’t lost on captain, Laura White, who sees the match as a good marker for next season when her team return to the Ulster top flight for the first time in many years.

“We’re feeling good, we’re playing well and there is no pressure on us for Sunday,” she acknowledged. “We want to go and enjoy it. We’ve done the double and whatever happens from here, we’re just excited to go and play at UCD, to have the chance to play there.

“And it’s amazing to be playing for a potential treble, but it will be good to play a team like Galway, to see what these teams play like and what sort of intensity they play at.”

However, with plenty of experience in their ranks and the promise of Premier League hockey next season, the Omagh women are eager to show their quality and they won’t be going into the clash with any feelings of inadequacy.

“We have good experience all over the place,” she acknowledged. “We are solid all over, with years of experience and skill throughout. I’d say all of us have played Premier or been up there at that standard so I think we’ll do OK.”

The Tyrone ladies are quietly confident of causing something of an upset on the back of such a successful and long season which they would love to conclude on another high note but regardless how it ends, they will celebrate no matter what!

“I think we’re all just excited to get a bit of a break!,” she joked. “But if we can beat Galway, that would be a good scalp for us because I’d say they are a really good side. We’re expecting them to come out fast and quick so we’ll need to control the pace, play our own hockey and enjoy it.

“And that’s something the girls have done so well this year and we’ll go, have fun and enjoy the celebrations win or lose afterwards.”

Push back on Sunday, 3.45pm.