Loreto aiming to make this final the one that really counts

WOMEN'S HOCKEY: It's a measure of just how much tomorrow's Sharwood's Irish Senior Cup final means to the players of Hermes and Loreto that two of their internationals, Jenny Burke and Cathy McKean, are totally determined to declare themselves fit to play, despite the odds being against them.

Burke trained for the first time in over two months on Wednesday night, after a long struggle to overcome a back injury, while McKean is equally intent on being fit for tomorrow, just a week after needing stitches in a head wound following a nasty car accident.

"I won't tell you what I said to the ambulance man when he asked me how I was feeling," said McKean, "I looked like a victim of Hannibal Lecter. My first thoughts were for my 'totalled' car, the second for the cup final. I should be fine, though, this is not a game I intend missing."

Burke, too, is hopeful of being involved tomorrow but, with such a momentous few months ahead for the international team, no risks will be taken if there are any doubts about her fitness. "I've missed it like mad and have discovered I am not a very good spectator, but I can't rush back, no matter how much I want to play, because there's too much to lose. I'll see how I feel when I warm up and then we'll decide."

A Hermes victory at Belfield would add to what has already been an immensely successful season for the club, one that has seen its firsts win the Leinster Cup and first division title (beating Loreto to both trophies) and their seconds triumph in the Irish Junior Cup and Leinster's division two.

Few clubs, though, are more aware of the dangers of carrying the favourite's tag into an Irish final, as they will do tomorrow, having won two deciders in the last five years as underdogs (when they beat Muckross in 1997 and Pegasus in 1999) and losing another, in 2000, when they were favourites to beat Harlequins.

"Everyone is just taking it as another match and trying not to even think about us being favourites," said Burke. "Yes, we've beaten Loreto the last two times but they'll have been hurt by that and that will make them hugely motivated. We went 2-0 up in both games but they came back each time (and missed a stroke and hit the post), so there's nothing between us."

"They've thrown down the gauntlet to us by beating us twice but Loreto are going to respond, definitely," said McKean. "When we played them before we were probably a little bit wary of them, maybe a bit afraid, not really sure that we could beat them. It's all about confidence because there's nothing between the teams and we believe we can do it. We're ready to take them on, we're just raring to go."

While Hermes underlined their status as their province's leading team by overcoming Loreto in both the league and Leinster Cup, tomorrow's prize is the one Loreto, who haven't won the Irish Senior Cup since 1960, have always craved the most. "Every time (Sarah) O'Meara talks to us about the Irish Cup final she has tears in her eyes, she has us hyped to a height," said McKean of her captain's pep-talks.

The form book, then, says Hermes should win their third Irish Cup in six seasons, but these occasions, in recent years at least, have had the habit of turning the very same form book on its head.

PATHS TO THE FINAL - Third round: Loreto 2, Victorians 1; Hermes 2, Randalstown 0. Quarter-finals: Hermes 2, Pegasus 1; Ballymena 0, Loreto 2. Semi-finals: Ballymoney 0, Hermes 1; Loreto 3, Cork Harlequins 0.

HERMES (from): T Browne, S Hilliard; D Sixsmith, C Carey, J Hodgins, C Devine, S Young, A Byrne, F Connery (capt), F Manning, L Caulfield, J Hyland, M Logue, S McCarthy, D McDermott, E J Walsh, J Burke.

LORETO (from): L Healy, M Harkin, S Rand, R Brophy, C Grealy, S Scott, N Symmons, A Pomeroy, C McKean, S O'Meara (capt), N Lyons, O Ryan, C O'Kelly, P O'Donoghue, G Dawson, N Keegan.

IRISH SENIOR CUP FINAL (at Belfield) - Tomorrow : Hermes v Loreto, 2.30.

LEINSTER LEAGUE - Sunday - Division One: Corinthian v Pembroke Wanderers, Whitechurch, 11.45; Trinity v Glenanne, Santry, 2.15; Railway Union v Genesis, Sandymount, 4.30. Division Two - Tomorrow: Clontarf v Aer Lingus, Dardistown, 12.0. Sunday - Avoca v Old Alexandra II, Rathdown, 3.0.

ULSTER LEAGUE - Tomorrow: Ballymena v Belfast Harlequins, 2.30; Ards v Ballymoney, 4.0; Portadown v Pegasus, 2.30.