Walla hopes derby will awaken 'sleeping giant' in Lifford

Fiachra thrives in Lifford return

NOT ALONE do Lifford FC have a chance to win a fourth Clare Cup title but it is also an opportunity for the Ennis club to make a statement that they are back at the top table of soccer in the county, writes Páraic McMahon

1976 was the last time Lifford won the Cup and also the most recent appearance of their first team in the decider; the B team lost the 2009 decider to Rineanna Rovers.

When speaking to The Clare Echo prior to the start of the season, Lifford manager Adrian Walsh labelled Lifford as “a sleeping giant”, success on Saturday would be its reawakening.

Speaking this week, Walla confirmed that both centre-halves John Allen and Johnson Munukum are set to miss the final through injury.

Renewing Lifford’s reputation as an adult force was the focus for the 41-year old at the beginning of the year. “I came in a third of the way through last season, it was about staying in the league, stabilising and seeing what we have. This year was a steady progression, seeing what players we had and what we needed, what lads were about, the commitment levels, figuring out a style of play and how we wanted to go about things, the development of younger lads available to the club”.

He continued, “For the players we didn’t set out anything, as a management team myself, Rhys Phillips, Gary McNaboe, Eddie Killeen and John Maher the captain, we went for dinner, we talked and reviewed the last season.

"I said this is what we should be targeting this year, we got to a Cup semi-final last year, we got beaten 1-0 after extra time by Newmarket and were unlucky not to get to the Cup final, we wanted to go one better, get a good run in the League Cup and finish in the top three if at all possible. We’ve achieved the three of them...no matter what way you look at it for me and for the club, it’s been a good year”.

Walsh was part of the Lifford B team which contested the 2009 final while he also represented the club’s A team plus Ennis Town, Hermitage and Turnpike.

Among the players he faced off with on the field was current Avenue Utd manager, David Russell. “I had great battles with him, he is a bit older than me now but any time we played each other you’d know what you would get, tough and fair is the way to describe it, wears his heart on his sleeve, passionate. Rivals on the pitch when we were playing against each other and it will be no different on Saturday.

"Ennis is a small place, the lads know each other inside out. I’m looking forward to renewing acquaintances”.

Saturday’s result is likely to influence young footballers' based in Ennis as to which club they might join but Walla is adamant Tom Steele Park is the destination they should be choosing, regardless. “Lifford is the place to come to in my eyes, it has always been a development club even back to my younger days, there’s always been players that have come through Lifford’s academy, I’m coaching in the academy myself and the focus is on the player, that’s not having a dig at any other club, I know what is going on in our club and I know what is going on in the past, having the likes of Alan Brooks push on and have a career in England, Barry Cotter who will be playing in Wembley soon, he came through our academy. We are the development club in the county, we have the most decorated coach in the county in Declan Farmer, he is a UEFA Elite A-licence coach, for any young lad that wants to be developed to play football this is the place to be.

"Ennis is a big town but in my personal opinion there’s too many clubs, people might not like to hear that but there’s no reason why there can’t be a Clare team in the League of Ireland, there should be. There will always be rivalries”.

Turning his attentions to Saturday, Walla notes, “We’re under no illusion what we have to face us, from the off it’s never been about winning and losing because when it’s winning and losing that brings a fear element in my personal opinion, it’s always been about performance.

"I don’t like losing but I’ve no problem a result not going our way if we perform. All I ask lads is to play football and perform to the best of their ability, results seem to have a habit of taking care of themselves when the performance goes right,” the self-employed bricklayer added.

Barry Ryan’s addition to the management before the end of 2022 has been a big addition. “You can’t be having a lad as good as him not involved, not alone on the goalkeeper coaching but a good lad and a football man. I told him my plans, I asked him to come on board, it has gone from there, he’s gone from goalkeeper coach to number two”.

They currently have two netminders to choose from, Rhys Phillips gave man of the match displays in their early season win over Avenue Utd while Peadar O’Keeffe was between the posts for the semi-final .“Between Rhys and Peadar they have been giving each other a good go since Peadar came in. We played Avenue in the first game, Rhys was man of the match, he was man of the match against Bridge, he is a big game player, a good lad with solid commitment. In terms of the squad whether it be number one or number two, nine or ten it doesn’t matter whoever comes in is as good as the lad that is coming out.”

CUP FINAL: LIFFORD FC VS AVENUE UNITED