“Both teams are going to be looking forward to renewing their rivalry” | Adare’s Hugh Bourke relishing SFC final against NCW

Newcastle West and Adare have been the dominant figures of the Limerick Senior Football Championship scene in recent years.

As the Limerick SFC draws to a close this weekend, Newcastle West and Adare are preparing for a second consecutive final as they face each other in the final this Sunday.

It will be the third SFC final between the two sides since 2017, with both teams winning a game apiece ahead of Sunday’s clash in Kilmallock.

It’s been a flawless campaign so far for the three-time winners Adare, who notched five wins from five in group two as well as a semi-final victory over Fr. Casey’s with the score ending 1-10 to 0-8 in their favour.

Adare had their work cut out for them in that fixture, including the adverse weather conditions, but Hugh Bourke believes there is a lot of similarities between the tough oppositions of Casey’s and their final opponents.

Bourke, a stalwart of the Adare side winning three SFC’s as well as a pair of U21 Premier County and an Intermediate title, has been forced to watch from the sidelines this year with injury but has been impressed with his sides performances as they prepare for the acid test.

“While Fr. Casey’s were a great test Newcastle West will probably bring a lot of what Casey’s do, a lot of physicality. The thing with Newcastle West is they’ve got a lot of know-how, know how to get over the line.

“We’ve played them four times in recent years and we’ve won twice and they’ve won twice so both teams know how to beat the opposition and I suppose both teams are going to be looking forward to renewing their rivalry.”

Last year’s final was a relatively low-scoring encounter, with Adare going out with a whimper losing 1-8 to 0-5 after hitting 4-08 in their 2020 triumph.

However, Bourke thinks that preparation last year was focused more on their opponents with the side determined to use their experience this time around as they aim for a fourth title in six seasons.

“I think last year looking back, we probably put too much emphasis on what they were bringing and not focusing on our own performance, this year I think we’re probably going in there with a little bit more as a underdogs just on the basis that we’re down a few bodies that would be expected to play.

“We’ve a lot of experience, I know we’ve still quite a young team in our mid-20’s or even less but we’ve a lot of football under our belt and I think at these times of the year, knowing how to get over the line makes a big difference.”

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Adare face Newcastle West in Kilmallock this Sunday at 3pm in the Limerick Senior Football Championship Final.