In Pictures: Adare fans excited for ‘cracking contest’ ahead of Limerick club football final

“ADARE play lovely, real positive football and it is great to see two quality teams representing Limerick in a county final.”

That is the view of Stephen Lavin, principal of Scoil Naomh Iósaf Adare, an all boys primary school.

Adare will be battling it out for their fifth ever title in the Irish Wire Products Limerick Senior Football Championship final.

The decider is taking place this Sunday, November 5 at the TUS Gaelic Grounds at 2pm, which Stephen says his students are “really very excited about”.

“The boys in the school are all sports-mad! It doesn’t matter what sport it is, the boys get behind it.

“They have huge interest in football and it makes it that bit better that the local team are doing so well in the sport in the last few years.”

Former Limerick footballer and Adare man himself, Stephen says when he watches games now, specifically finals which his club are competing in, he watches them tactically.

Four Limerick football finals down for decision this weekend

“When I watch the football games now, I watch it in terms of tactics and I think about the lads’ game plan.

“We really want the players to do well - watching a previous match against Rathkeale, Adare’s game was lovely, real good football constantly pushing the ball forward.

“I think the upcoming final against Newcastle West will be a cracking contest, because what you have is two very well coached teams and both management teams are excellent, so I’m sure the teams are well set up to play each other once again.”

What Stephen describes as a ‘real tight game’ last year in the final where the two clubs met once again, he said Newcastle West ‘got the upper-hand’, but ‘taking chances’ on the day might spin it in Adare’s favour.

“We [Adare] just weren’t good enough to get it over the line in the last two finals, but I also thought Newcastle West did really well in representing Limerick in the Munster final.

“I’m not part of the inner circle in terms of management or coaching teams, but I reckon Adare will be as prepared as possible this time around - if you’re not prepared for a county final, you don’t really deserve to win it, do you?”

All in all, Stephen says the village are backing their club and while it ‘comes down to the day’, they remain ‘confident’.

“It should be a really interesting game of football and I’m looking forward to going to it, as are the supporters of Adare!”