Garvey hope to end busy weekend with Irish Cup

Lisnagarvey travel to Dublin on Saturday with the aim of winning the Irish Senior Cup for the first time since 2007.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Feb 2014, 17:30 BST

Being the most prolific winners of the trophy, they face old cup rivals Pembroke Wanderers at Irish hockey’s National Stadium at Belfield; push back 3pm.

Garvey have had a difficult passage to the semi final stage, beating Dublin YMCA by 2 goals to nil, a talented UCD team by 2 goals to 1 and just two weeks ago, Glenanne were their quarter final opponents and a place in the semi was achieved with a convincing 7-2 victory.

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The semi final will bring another severe test; Pembroke Wanderers, although not a top team in the Leinster league, they have their own pedigree in the Irish Cup, winning the trophy on a number of occasions in the 1990’s.

Garvey will have not played since that game against Glenanne due to Irish training sessions so they will be somewhat rusty for what is likely to be their most testing week so far this season, especially if they are successful on Saturday and move into the final scheduled for the following day again at Belfield with the opposition either favourites, Monkstown or Three Rock Rovers.

Playing the final within 24 hours of the semi final has always been a talking point but for this season at least, Garvey have no option and the club is hoping to end a tiring week end with another Irish Senior Cup triumph to add to the long list.

Once again, the penalty corners of Timmy Cockram could well be the difference between the teams; his hat trick of set pieces in the quarter final match made things easy for Garvey and coach Erroll Lutton is hoping that the Irish international is in top form again on Saturday.

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With Daniel Buser and James Lorimer back in the squad, Garvey look stronger all round while the youth of Sean Murray and Daniel Nelson will be well tested during the top level encounters in prospect.

Garvey’s squad is as follows; John Tormey (gk), Steven Arbuthnot, Jonny Bell (capt), Richard Arneill, Johnny Quigley, Mark Raphael, Daniel Buser, Jason Lynch, Greg Thompson, Andy Williamson, Timmy Cockram, Sean Murray, Daniel Nelson, James Dowling, Adam McCann, Peter MacDonnell, James Lorimer and reserve goalkeeper, James Milliken.