JONES’ LOST CAUSE

NATHAN JONES insists Ballynahinch Oympic have no intentions of letting Border Cup glory slip through their fingers for a second time in two seasons.

The Premier Division joint leaders have been rampant this season, winning nine from nine in the league to reach the top of the table alongside East Belfast, while marching to a second successive Border Cup final.

Last time out, Liam Sloan’s men dominated large parts of the decider at Seaview and led 10-man Crumlin Star 1-0 right up until the final minute before conceding a last-gasp equaliser and then eventually crashing in a penalty shootout.

Naturally, Jones believes the hurt they experienced in the aftermath of that can galvanise them this time round.

But he also believes the side Rathfriland Rangers meet in the final at Seaview tomorrow are a different beast to the one that lost out to Star, insisting the Whites will face a far more confident and streetwise group of players.

“I don’t know too much about Rathfriland but I believe they have strengthened from last year with Andy Kilmartin coming in, and Stephen Hughes, boys with a lot of Irish League experience,” explained the Olympic winger.

“So going into the final, I think they might be slight favourites, but we are a lot more mature from last year.

“With the manner of our defeat last year, it gives us a bit more experience going into this one.

“We feel we are a more mature squad from what we were last year in terms of another year in the top division.

“So we’re going in confident, we know it will be an extremely hard game, probably as tough as it was last year but at the end of the day, it’s 90 minutes, who knows what will happen, form goes out the window.”

Reflecting on last year’s final, where they matched and at times outplayed the all-conquering Star, Jones feels he and his team-mates were eventually punished for naivety.

“That was down to a lack of experience,” he said. “We’ve gained a bit more game management this year. Last season, we were 1-0 up and were pushing to go 2-0 up instead of dragging it out and taking the heat out of the game.

“But we’ll hardly need much of a team-talk, it will more or less be based on last year and how we don’t want to be feeling like that.

“And for some of our guys, I would imagine this could be their last chance to get a bit of silverware.”

Jones has endured an injury-hit season so far himself, but is raring to go for the final after returning to full fitness a few weeks ago.

And if they are to go all the way, Jones hopes Olympic can count on the same kind of brilliant backing they got from the club’s travelling army last year.

“The fans are great,” he added with a laugh. “There’s a wee bit of a buzz around the club, everyone seems to be buying into it as well so I imagine they will come out in force like they did last year.”