Burkey Cup favourites Foyle Harps face Ballymac Celtic in tonight's final

The 2025 Thomas Burke Perpetual Cup (Burkey Cup) Final will take place tonight at Oakland Park with a 6.45pm kick off.

The final was originally scheduled for Saturday, May 24, however, a number of circumstances necessitated a date change.

The final will be contested by pre-tournament favourites Foyle Harps and newcomers Ballymac Celtic. Both sides booked their place in the final with 3 nil victories over Creggan Swifts and Phoenix Athletic, respectively.

Ballymac Celtic 3 ... Phoenix Athletic 0

This was a tighter game than the scoreline suggests. However, Ballymac's superior finishing proved conclusive. They opened the scoring midway the first half when Kyle Curran finished well from the edge of the box.

Phoenix fought back but squandered a couple of good opportunities, and they were made to pay shortly after halftime when Seamus Sharkey pounced on a loose ball following a corner to force the ball home. Despite plenty of possession, Phoenix could not find a way back, and James Campbell put the issue beyond doubt when he added a third goal for Ballymac Celtic near the end.

Foyle Harps 3 ... Creggan Swifts 0

This semi-final was also a much closer affair than the final score suggests. Indeed, Creggan started the better of the two sides with young players Shea McGinley and Callum Deery looking lively in midfield.

However, Harps rode the early storm and took the lead before halftime through Ryan Doherty, who got on the end of a Gareth Browne cross to head home. There was almost an instant Creggan response when Callum Deery saw his superb strike crash off the Harps crossbar.

Ballymac defeated Phoenix Athletic in their semi-final earlier this week.

The second half continued in the same vein, with both sides creating chances. However, it was Harps who were the more clinical in front of goal, and they doubled their advantage when Gareth Browne found space inside the area to lash the ball past the Creggan keeper. This seemed to take the sting out of the game, and Harps added a third near the end through Jamie Dunne.

The final should be an intriguing affair. Harps will probably start as favourites courtesy of their previous record in the competition. Winners in 2023 and beaten finalists last year. They have goals throughout the team with Mikhail Kennedy, Ryan Doherty, Gareth Browne, and Jamie Dunne, amongst the goals so far.

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Ballymac Celtic are the surprise packages in the competition. Under the management of ex Derry City legend, Paul Carlyle, his son Dean, and Shaun Mullan, they knocked out holders Trojans on penalties. They have the experienced Seamus Sharkey marshalling things at the back, and they carry a threat going forward with Kyle Curran and James Campbell.

The family of the late Thomas Burke, his parents Linda and Thomas senior, sister Rachel, his wife Bronagh and children, Adam and Aoife will be in attendance on Thursday evening as they have been throughout this year's competition. Trojans and the Burke family would like to sincerely thank our sponsors without whom this tournament could not take place. Our main sponsor is Impact-ni, Complete Accident Management.

Our secondary sponsors are Xfit Gym, McKeevers Newsagents, Bay Road Soccer, and Raymond Gurney Automotive. Other sponsors to whom we are grateful are Cooleys Jewellers, Extreme Bounce and Elite, James McDermott Joinery, Citypaints, and Mouldings Direct.

Trojans would also like to thank the mayor, Councillor Lillian Senoi- Barr, for kindly waiving the hire costs of the pitch for the Burkey Cup. This is very much appreciated.

A voluntary collection will be in place at the gate, or alternatively, tickets will be on sale at £2 a strip for a halftime draw with prizes, including £25 vouchers for the Tasty Reel and selection of drinks. Come along and enjoy the game. Your support would be very welcome. Trojans would ask people to be considerate of the residents of Oakland Park when parking their vehicles in the area.