Each week Liam will capture the mood and anticipation from the City camp as the big day draws ever nearer.

"When Newry City walk out at Mourneview Park to play Portadown in the final of this season's Co-operative Insurance Cup the team will be bridging a twenty year gap. It really is that long since our last major final and you can add on another two years since our last major victory. Oddly enough that was in the County Antrim Shield against Ballymena. That was a decent Newry team and whether any of the current squad is to be remembered as fondly as Ollie Ralph and co. remains very much open to question.

"Many Newry fans, myself included, have never seen us in a major final. I've been to four Mid Ulster cup finals, which have yielded two victories, but with all due respect to the competition, none of them exactly set the pulse racing. In terms of major competitions, I can only recall three semi finals in my time, (which dates back to the mid 1990s). The 2000 Nationwide Gold Cup semi final was a two legged affair. Remarkably we turned over Glentoran in the first leg at the Oval and a large crowd gathered at the Showgrounds to see whether we could seal the deal. At half time in the 2nd leg we'd doubled our lead before a dramatic collapse saw us ship three and miss out.

"We got even closer in last season's Co-operative Insurance Cup, taking all conquering Linfield to a penalty shoot-out. Dee Curran did his bit for old times sake but Lee Feeney matched him and Paddy McLaughlin rattled the crossbar. Not disgraced but, once again, out on our ear. The talk after that game was of how we'd come so close, but finals just weren't for us. We bemoaned the fact that the draw was always against us. You have to beat what's put in front of you, but wouldn't it be nice to sneak by while the big boys took each other out? Little did we know.

"Just one season on and we've finally slipped into a final, under the radar. It all kicked off in Ballyclare in October, in the snow. Ards were dispatched emphatically and Loughgall were the team I wanted in the quarters. When we almost apologetically stumbled past them we were in the semis again. Distillery were the draw I wanted. They were higher than us in the league for sure, but had as little recent cup pedigree as ourselves. We'd also been desperately unlucky not to beat them at least once in earlier league encounters this season. Try as I might, I just couldn't shake the good feeling.

"When we deservedly led with only minutes to go we wondered whether we were finally going to do it. One free kick later and it might just all be cruelly snatched away. But this was different and for once we had the last laugh as extra time drew to a close. Time stood still as Stephen Garrett's cross rolled towards Richard Clarke at the back post. He wasn't going to pass this one up and as he stroked it home there was joy unconfined in the Glenfield Road Stand.

"The raw outpouring of emotion that greeted our dramatic win showed how much it meant to supporters who couldn't quite take it in. Much will be made of how important this final is to a Portadown side who found themselves cast into the Championship as a result of off field mistakes. But I can assure you that for those Newry supporters who follow the team week in week out a final win would mean the world.

"Of course, Newry being Newry, it didn't take long for the feel good balloon to be burst. Our semi final win has papered over the cracks of a dreadful sequence of league results that has seen us take just 5 points out of a possible 36. With the spectre of relegation looming large the mood was sombre as we were mugged by Ballymena before capitulating at Ballyskeagh. Truly a week is a long time in football and there's little enough talk about the final as we go searching for elusive league points. A few wins would certainly put us in a better frame of mind before our Mourneview date which must, for now, be put to the back of our minds. Well at least for staff and players. As I supporter I'm allowed to indulge myself and

"Over the next couple of weeks I'll be trying to reflect the mood around the club as the final date creeps closer."

Liam O'Hagan