Hermes determined to make amends in cup

AFTER sitting down on Tuesday night to watch the "video nasty" of their Leinster Senior Cup defeat to Muckross last Sunday, Hermes hope the recording of tomorrow's sequel - the Irish Senior Cup final against the same opposition will make for more pleasant viewing next week.

Hermes were bitterly disappointed with their performance in last Sunday's match, but, just six days later, they have a chance to make amends in their first appearance in the biggest cup final of them all.

"We watched the video of the match on Tuesday night and it was just so bad, we were so disappointed. It wasn't even the result, it was the way we played," said Hermes' international striker Jenny Burke.

"We just showed them too much respect. When they had possession we kind of hung back and said, `Oh my God, Mary Logue has the ball', instead of just getting stuck in. When we did get the ball we didn't show any composure. I was just watching the game - I could have had a cup of tea up on the 25 yard line, I was doing nothing."

Burke will resume her battle with fellow Irish panellist Clodagh Grealy, "one of the best markers" she's ever had. This time around Burke insists that Grealy and her Muckross team-mates will be confronted by a very different Hermes team.

"They're going to think they're playing a totally different team because we're going to get stuck in from the whistle. We have to be more competitive, a bit more composed when we have possession and we have to believe in ourselves. The way we felt last Sunday evening is motivation enough for tomorrow, we were so down."

Muckross are no less hungry for their 16th Senior Cup victory after experiencing defeat at the hands of Pegasus in the last two finals. With a place in next season's European Cup for the winners an added incentive, Muckross coach Ian Steepe will be hoping for a marked improvement in his side's short corner technique, which failed to yield a single goal from 14 attempts last Sunday.

His team may yet be boosted by the appearance of midfielder Triona Bowtell in the starting lineup. Remarkably, Bowtell, who fractured her right scapula in last Sunday's match, returned to training with the team on Wednesday night.