The quest for Irish Junior Cup honours will be full bodied at Banbridge tomorrow when Lisnagarvey II and Pembroke Wanderers II both field five stalwarts who have enjoyed success at senior level.
While Lisnagarvey include the 100-times capped internationals Alan Dowd and Robbie Taylor, as well as Peter Richardson, Norman McNellis and not least Packenham Pim, who between them have gained almost 50 Senior Cup medals, Pembroke's challenge may have a fresher touch. Their leading lights, Ian Battle, Andy Cooke, Stephen Stewart, Michael Tijs and Dougie Good, need only to look back to last season to their club's triumph in the blue-riband competition.
Pembroke are thus aiming to make it a back-to-back achievement, emulating Avoca - 1996 (senior) and 1997 (junior).
Meanwhile Avoca, led by Galahad Goulet (Computershare player of the month for February) have several chances to extricate themselves from relegation in Leinster. They can do so tomorrow by drawing with Aer Lingus, in which case both clubs' first-division places will be safe. But if there are to be losers, it will be down to a three-way play-off with Railway Union and Trinity before one team takes the drop.
Whichever side finishes second last will meet Portrane for the other first division berth next season along with the new second division champions, UCD.
