Saturday’s Junior Championship semi-final presents a huge opportunity for both An Port Mor and Lissummon to reach the showpiece.
Lissummon haven’t reached the Junior decider since 2004, the one and only time they won the competition.
A great league campaign where they finished third place behind Derrynoose and Middletown will see confidence through the roof.
Seamus Loughran’s men saw off Killeavy IIs and Thomas Davis off fairly easily to get to this stage.
Favourites
And they’ll be the favourites heading into the Athletic Grounds on Saturday, as they have been for their other two outings.
An Port Mor last reached the Junior decider in 2018, losing out to Keady, but it’s ten years since they last lifted the Sean Quinn Cup.
They’ve experienced comprehensive victories over O’Hanlon’s and Mullabrack in the first round and quarter finals.
It’s not the best preparation for coming up against a Division 3A team, but the Blackwatertown men have earned their place in the last four.
Brad Hughes was brilliant in their win over Mullabrack while Cormac Kieran offers a real scoring threat.
Mark Donnelly and Ryan Gorman are great support up front, as in Gary Traynor who hit 1-3 off the bench in that last eight clash.
For Lissummon, it’s Steven Matthews who carries the main scoring burden but he’s not the only one with an eye for a score.
Tom O’Hagan is also a superb finisher in that two-man full forward line, with Paudi Rogers dropping back to help the defence.
The hardworking Shea Trainor will be up and down the field while Darren Hughes and Damian O’Hagan are great leaders.
In their one league meeting this season, Lissummon and An Port Mor went right down to the wire.
Lissummon just scrapped through with one point to spare and Saturday’s game is expected to be just as tight, with Lissummon prevailing once again.
