KIRK CUP CANCELLATION 'A DISASTER'

Tumilty said that missing out on playing the game twice has taken away a little bit from the final but that Bann were still determined to win the trophy.

"There's nothing you can do about it, unfortunately I don't decide on what the weather's going to be like," he quipped.

"Perhaps it could have been played at another pitch. I know Havelock Park was certainly playable and I believe Cookstown was also playable but again I don't make those decisions.

"I called down to Garvey and the pitch was covered in snow, there was no way the game could have gone ahead."

Bann are already set to suffer a fixture headache. They have already lost two home games in the Premier League due to the weather.

With the league due to be completed by February and their Irish Hockey League committments, plus their hopes for a good run in the Irish Senior Cup, there is a real chance they could be left to play a number of midweek fixtures under the floodlights.

pencilled

"We have Irish Cup games pencilled in for January and if we beat North Down then we will have another game on the 30th," said Tumilty.

"But there is still a good chance that game could be called off and then the next round would be delayed.

"There's no doubt there could be a fixture pile-up.

"It's not ideal as it disrupts your structure and training too. I like the preparation for my teams to be perfect.

"But so far we are three fixtures behind in the league and we haven't got training on a Thursday night in over a month."

The Bann coach said he felt most sorry for his players, who had sacrificed all of their Christmas period to train and had not got a chance to play.

It's understoodthe Ulster Hockey Union is considering a St Patrick's Day date for both the Kirk Cup final and the Linden Cup decider - a potential nightmare for both Cookstown and Bann as that date is usually reserved for the Burney Cup final which could well feature Banbridge Academy and Cookstown High School.

A UHU management board representative told the Sunday Life, "All options will be on the table and at this stage nothing is being ruled in or ruled out."

Things could get worse for Bann this week as they are scheduled to travel to Donegal to face Raphoe (2.30pm).

And Tumilty admitted: "There's a very good chance this game could be called off too.

"There is heavy snow forecast for the week ahead in that part of the world so I'm not hopeful of getting a game on Saturday either."