Final Fever - Limavady's Adam Mullan targets Cup Final glory

THERE will be a local County Derry feel to Saturday week’s Irish Cup Final. Adam Mullan (Coleraine) and Stephen Lowry (Linfield) both hail from Limavady and will go head to head at Windsor Park for cup glory.

For 30-year-old Lowry, he will aim to go one better than last season when Linfield went down 2-0 to a Glenavon side that included Eoin Bradley. Linfield need a point against Cliftonville this weekend to clinch the league title.

Bradley is chasing a second successive cup medal and after his return to Coleraine, is expected to feature alongside Dungiven’s Jamie McGonigle and Adam Mullan in the Bannsiders line-up.

Despite Saturday’s mauling at the hands of Linfield, results elsewhere ensured Coleraine’s Europa League qualification.

“We have definitely qualified now,” Adam Mullan told the County Derry Post.  “Now we are all looking forward to the cup final, it is a big game and we are going in as underdogs.”

Mullan has played over 100 games since being promoted from the U19 ranks, a career which began with Newtowne before moving on to Limavady Youths. His father Damien was a long-serving player with Limavady United so sport was never going to be far from his thoughts.

“I’m left back and he (Stephen) is in the middle of the field, but I’m sure at some point we’ll come together,” Mullan joked.

“His uncle would be my uncle too and Stephen used to be with Coleraine. When I broke into the side, I only played five games at the end of the season and I played along with him.  Then he moved on to Linfield that summer, so I would know him well.”

Limavady man and former Ballymena United stalwart Dessie Loughrey commented at the weekend of ‘lots of interest’ around the town for the Cup Final, something Mullan is experiencing first hand.

“There will be a good crowd going up from Limavady and everybody I chat to keep asking me about it. I went to one (final) a few years ago but I have always watched them on TV.  It’ll be a big day for me, Stephen played in it last year so he’ll be looking to go one better,” added the former Termoncanice and Limavady Grammar School student.

“We are going into it pressure free but we really believe we are going to win it. Linfield beat us 5-1 on Saturday so we are aware of them.  We went 1-0 up, they scored two quick goals and a penalty followed, so our heads went down.  We didn’t put enough pressure on them and they showed the quality they have.”

This weekend Coleraine play their last league game against Ballymena, which will follow into Cup Final week. Mullan doesn’t envisage any change in routine: “We are trying to make it as routine as normal and not really change much.  It would be great to win it - it would be some achievement.”