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Finnegan out to win back crown

By Paul Fitzpatrick

Ten-time All-Ireland Senior Doubles champions Michael Finnegan and Paul Brady are back in action this weekend in the Ulster Championship – and, says Finnegan, they are as motivated as ever to add to their impressive haul of medals.

The Cavan pair were forced to concede last year’s final to great rivals Brian Carroll and Tom Sheridan of Meath after Brady picked up an injury after the seconds game, with the sides tied at one game apiece.

However, they are determined to go one better this time around.

“Preparations are going pretty well, we haven’t got playing many doubles games because Paul has been competing in New Orleans and again next week in Houston but it’s quite hard to get doubles games anyway,” Finnegan told GAAHandball.ie.

“We have been working away on our own, I’ve been playing singles and training myself in the gym.”

Failing to retain the trophy last year has given the Kingscourt duo a fresh impetus for 2016, he feels.

“We were disappointed with how the year ended last year. In our eyes we don’t feel we lost it, it was just thh injury, so we’re very motivated now to come back. We lost before, to the Mayo lads and the Dublin lads, and we always came back hungrier than ever.”

With Tyrone youngsters Gabhain McCrystal and Pól Clarke having ousted Antrim’s Sean Devine and Owen McKenna last night, there are four teams in the hunt in Ulster. Cavan will meet Tyrone’s Shane O’Neill and Conor McElduff in the semi-final on Saturday at 2pm in Armagh, with two other Red Hand pairs (Johnny Woods/Ryan Mullen and McCrystal/Clarke) clashing in the other tie.

The final takes place on Sunday afternoon at the same venue.

“The Ulster Championship is a chance to get on the court and then there is a five or six-week break before the next round. Our aim is to make the Ulster final or win it because then you bypass the qualifiers which would be better obviously.

“We know each other well by now, we know each other’s shots but it’s still good to get some games of doubles to practise serves and things like that. We’ll try to get more games as the season goes on.”

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