INSTITUTE: Stephen O'Donnell ready for blue ribbon final at Windsor

Captain Stephen O'Donnell can't wait to lead Institute out against Ards in next Monday evening's Intermediate Cup final, at Windsor Park (KO 7.30pm).
The Institute squad who will be taking on Ards in next week's Intermediate Cup Final, at Windsor Park. Picture by Gary Hancock/Irish FAThe Institute squad who will be taking on Ards in next week's Intermediate Cup Final, at Windsor Park. Picture by Gary Hancock/Irish FA
The Institute squad who will be taking on Ards in next week's Intermediate Cup Final, at Windsor Park. Picture by Gary Hancock/Irish FA

The skipper feels the show-piece final at the National Stadium is a super way to end the season.

“Having a place in the Intermediate Cup final is a great way to end the season,” he said.
“I feel the boys have worked hard all season and supporters have been fantastic this season, so it’s nice for them and the boys that we have a cup final at Windsor Park.

“It’s going to be a great night for everyone and hopefully we can win the cup.”

Only a few weeks ago O’Donnell visited the new look Windsor Park and he believes the whole experience will be great for everyone at the club.

“To be fair they have done a whole lot of good work at Windsor and it looks like a ‘proper’ football stadium,” he added.

“Rightly so because as the national stadium it does look very well, in around the changing room, the facilities and the surface at Windsor are all looking well.

“The fans are going to love the stadium and for the boys it’s going to be a great place to play.”

Stute face Championship One title chasers Ards in the final and the 22-year-old knows they are going to have a tough game.

Having both won a game apiece this season, O’Donnell is hoping they can secure another victory.

“All due respect to Ards, they probably have been the best team in the league and if they go on and win the league then fair play to them,” he added.

“They play a certain style and they do their jobs well; they came to us at the weekend and they definitely put it up to us and gave us a good game. But I think on the day the boys will be looking forward to it but we know that we’ll have to be ready.

“It has been nip and tuck between arguably the two best teams in the league and I think when they won on Saturday we weren’t at ourselves and didn’t play as well as we possibly could have and because of that there will be a feeling in the changing room maybe we owe them one and the cup final would be a good place to get that win.”