Football

Final duo bid to end title droughts

Tomorrow evening, owenbeg will host its first ever Derry senior hurling decider and it will feature a novel decider between Ballinascreen and Slaughtneil.

Ballinascreen have won just two titles - back to back in 1938 and 1939 - and haven't appeared in a final since 2003.

Slaughtneil have not tasted final success since 2000 when they beat Banagher to claim their sixth title. Their last final appearance saw them lose in a replay to Dungiven. on their way to the decider, Slaughtneil defeated 2012 champions Swatragh and 2011 champions Dungiven, while Ballinascreen beat 2010 champions Lavey. while Ballinascreen's wait for a title is 61 years longer than Dungiven's, Slaughtneil goalkeeper Eoin mcGuigan believes the Emmet's Slaughtneil will match Ballinascreen's hunger as their need is just as great.

"There aren't many county medals in our team. Both teams will be very hungry.

"I think from the Kevin Lynch's game it's obvious that we are a very hungry team, but Ballinascreen will be too.

"It's just going to be a very tough game.

"we maybe should have been competing in more finals or winning more recently but Kevin Lynch's were always just in our way, they were the monkey on our backs as such. we had to put that to bed." of Ballinascreen's wait since 1939, St Colm's midfielder Sean mcBride said: "It's that long ago that surely, we're aware of the history, but it's not something you can really relate to.

"It's something you see bandied about in papers or that but it doesn't come into your thinking. we won't be going out to make a conscious effort to end 74 years without a championship. It won't be in our minds at all."

This game has all the hallmarks of a closely contested final, with respective free-takers Gareth o'Kane and Conal o'Kane possibly having a major influence on the destination of the Fr Collins Cup.

Both sides are packed with young talent, but they will need the more experienced players to give leadership, players like Cormac mcKenna, Damian Kearney and Jarlath mulholland for Slaughtneil and Sean mcBride, Conor mcSorley and Conor mcKenna for Ballinascreen.