By Paul Fitzpatrick

A new approach has brought Clare's Diarmaid Nash all the way his first O'Neill's All-Ireland Senior Singles final in five years and the Tuamgraney clubman is determined to make it count this time.

The former Banner underage hurler (28) takes on three-time All-Ireland 40x20 Senior Singles champion Robbie McCarthy on Saturday as the form player in the sport, having won two of the four pre-championship warm-up tournaments utilising a more offensive style.

"I needed to become more attacking, I think my shooting from deep has got a bit better - and if nothing else it keeps guys honest, if they think you are going to play a defensive shot or put the ball back on the ceiling, they might be able to sit back.

"It's a mentality, playing to win as opposed to playing to not lose. You will lose eventually if you play 'not to lose'. It's the same in any sport, it just doesn't work.

"That means shooting, it doesn't have to be an 80-20 percentage shot, you can shoot when it's 50-50 sometimes."

But while he has been in outstanding form on the tournament circuit - most recently, he reached the final of the Irish Open which he lost in a nailbiting 11-9 tiebreaker against Saturday's opponent - Nash knows that, just as in football and hurling, championship is where it's at.

"The championship is the biggest competition of the year. Tournaments are nice to play in, they'e nice to win, don't get me wrong, but to get the cup is the main one," he said.

"When you look back at your career, it's the championships you won that will define it. Put it like this, Paul Brady might not know how many tournaments he has won, he might have won 50 or more, but he will definitely remember that he has won 10 All-Ireland senior championships.

"No more than hurling or football, the league is great and everyone loves it but at the end of the day, everyone remembers who won the All-Ireland championship at the end of the season."

Nash comes into the final off the back of a comfortable semi-final win over Kilkenny's Patrick Funchion last week while McCarthy also impressed, toppling champion Martin Mulkerrins from Galway.

Interestingly, McCarthy and Nash have joined forces to win the Open Doubles at the last two renewals of the triennial World Championships but in singles play, the Mullingar maestro has enjoyed more success, something the Clare lefty is determined to change this weekend.

"I really do want to win it. In years passed I have kind of got too worked up about it, maybe let it get to me too much, even in the court, getting ratty when you wouldn't mean to be because it means so much to you.

"Whereas this year I have been aiming to go out and play. I think I have the game to win it and instead of playing not to lose, I'm playing to win it. Throw caution to the wind a bit and just kind of go for it and see what happens."

Action serves off in Kingscourt, Co Cavan at 4.30pm on Saturday. In the O'Neill's ladies Senior Singles final, champion Martina McMahon of Limerick meets her fiercest rival, former three-time winner Catriona Casey from Cork.

The Minor Singles finals are also down for decision, with Clare's Mark Rodgers - another accomplished inter-county hurler - meeting World 17&U champion Eoghan McGinnity from Monaghan while in the ladies, holder Leah Doyle from Kildare takes on Galway minor camóg Niamh Heffernan.

The finals will be streamed live on the GAA Handball Facebook page.