Steelstown Ladies aiming for FOUR in a row in Derry Senior final against Glen

Steelstown Ladies will have a point to prove as they go in search of a FOURTH straight Derry Senior Championship title in what will be a FIFTH successive county final for the Brian Ogs on Saturday against Glen.

Thomas Cusack's side remain the team to beat in the Oak Leaf county with a remarkable record of six finals in seven years and four titles in six. Indeed before this season you had to go back to the 2019 semi-final for Steelstown's last Derry championship defeat.

Therefore an opening day defeat this year to (yep, you've guessed it) Glen raised more than a few eyebrows across the county. Steelstown were only saved by this season’s introduction of a new round robin format, and have been busy taking advantage of their second chance ever since. Indeed Brian Ogs boss Cusack believes that 2-6 to 1-08 defeat could have inadvertently been a blessing in disguise.

"Every year we come back and we take nothing for granted," explained the Steelstown manager, "You have to get the work done. You set out your stall to win a championship, that's your goal at the start of every year. Each year we try to win a championship and then, if we do, we see what happens after that.

"The Glen game; you could thank God for the round robin. It's the first time we've had it in Derry and we were able to walk away from that game and say ‘we lost but we're still in the championship, so let's refocus’.

"The girls were down for a couple of days after it but then they picked themselves up and really went after it. And they’ve progressed each game since. They’ve been a bit nervy at times because they knew one more loss and they were out but we're starting to get to where we want to be."

Cusack says he's expecting Saturday to of the closest finals for years but he’s confident his side can handle the occasion.

"Glen are a good team. They played well that night and deserved their victory so it's for us to try and correct what we did wrong that day. We didn't play great but Glen deserved the win so it's up to us to right the wrongs in the final.

"Glen will be going into the final confident, but again, I'd be confident in our girls too. I think it will be one of the closest finals there has been for a while."

With the likes of Emma Doherty, Ciara McGurk and Aoife McGough already holding multiple county medals, Cusack has been gradually introducing new blood such as Tara Burns and Caoimhe O'Kane to ensure competition for places remains high within the panel.

"We have a lot of experience in the panel, players who have played in the finals before, but we also have youngers players as well, players coming into their 20s, they’re starting to step up. We also have a few teenagers pushing as well so there's a good blend," he added."For the likes Caoimhe and Tara this is their first final but you also have the likes of Kate Harkin and Emma Connolly who would have been about last year; it keeps everything fresh."There's a good mix and it makes things fun in training for everyone. The older ones try to put their authority on the sessions and provide a great example for the young players, but the younger ones bring a great energy."

Last season ended in controversy for the Brian Ogs when they lost their place in the Ulster semi-final following a late venue change which left the Brian Ogs unable to fulfil the fixture on a 3G surface. Cusack says the controversy is now behind them and their only focus remains the county final.

"The girls put that disappointment behind them, it's not something to dwell on. They actually wanted to get back to training earlier. That says everything. Even after what happened, they were looking to return to training in January. I was thinking, 'Gone give me another month, let have go a bit of time' but no, they wanted to get back at it which says everything about them.

"Now we are back in the final but Glen are a good team, well coached. They play the ball well and come at you fast. They defend in numbers so it has the makings of a good game.

"The defeat earlier in the season was possibly the best thing to happen to us. It has refocused the girls. It put things in perspective and shows any day you are off your game you can get punished. We now know what we are playing for when we get on the training pitch on a Monday night.

"Every final has been different. It's a different squad, a different atmosphere and each time it is a new challenge for myself and the players."