Joey Carbery and Darren Sweetnam played in last year’s Ulster Bank final before going on to great things this season, writes Donal Lenihan.

Ireland manager Martin O’Neill designated it the “tie of the round” yesterday after he helped pair Cork City and St Patrick’s Athletic in the draw for the Third Round of the FAI Cup.

I first joined Cork City FC in 1998 as a fresh and fit 18-year-old. Having come from a strong local Wilton United youths team in the city, I fancied my chances of making it into Cork City’s first-team squad.

Hod and Rod. Two men made for centre stage inched back into the glare this week.

Bluebell United provided the only surprise of the FAI Ford Cup weekend when the Dublin non-league side held Roddy Collins’ First Division Athlone Town to a 2-2 draw at Baldonnel on Saturday night.

Rory Patterson scored a second half hat-trick as holders Derry City won 4-0 at non-league Blarney United to cruise safely into the third round of the FAI Ford Cup.

The Leinster Senior League reclaimed the Michael Ward Trophy at Turner’s Cross yesterday following a 2-1 victory over the Munster Senior League.

The Munster Senior League selection got their defence of the Michael Ward Cup off to a winning start with a 2-1 victory over a battling Connacht at O’Shea Park last night.

Not for the first time in his career, Damien Duff has feinted to go one way and then gone the other.

Roy Keane and others are mistaken to believe our fans at Euro 2012 were celebrating defeat or just along for the sing song.

An early own-goal by Derek Griffin along with strikes from Jake Carroll and Jake Kelly put St Pat’s into the third round of the FAI Cup at Richmond Park.

Leinster senior league side Cherry Orchard caused the shock of the FAI Ford Cup second round with a 2-0 win over Longford Town.

Dundalk scrambled a single goal FAI Ford Cup win over their Leinster Senior League opponents at Oriel Park last night.

Munster Senior League duo Douglas Hall and Everton will be seeking to upset Airtricity League opposition in their FAI Ford Cup second round ties tomorrow.

Bray Wanderers will start slight favourites when they play host to Shelbourne in the pick of tonight’s 11 FAI Ford Cup ties at the Carlisle Grounds (7.05 pm, live on RTÉ 2).

Munster Senior League champions Avondale United are favourites to lift a fifth FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup when they meet Cherry Orchard in a repeat of last year’s final at Tallaght Stadium tomorrow (3pm).

The very public cardiac arrest suffered by Fabrice Muamba a fortnight ago sent shockwaves around the football, world but for one amateur footballer in Dublin, the collapse of the Bolton Wanderers player on the pitch at White Hart Lane was especially distressing.

KARL CAULFIELD was the goalscoring hero yesterday as his strike saw the Munster Senior League defeat their Leinster counterparts 1-0 to reclaim the FAI Umbro Intermediate Inter-League Cup, which they last won in 2008, in Tullamore yesterday.

UCD booked their place in the fourth round of the FAI Ford Cup as goals in each half by Sean Russell and Stephen Doyle gave them the narrowest of victories over brave Leinster Senior League side Cherry Orchard at the Belfield Bowl last night.

VETERAN Bray Wanderers boss Pat Devlin admits his team are travelling into the unknown when they clash with Munster Senior League side Youghal United in tomorrow’s FAI Ford Cup third-round tie at Ardrath Park (3pm).

Avondale United1 Cherry Orchard 0 (after extra-time)

TONY O’CONNOR spent most of his football life associated with the red and black stripes of Bohemians during a decorated playing career.

THIS coming Sunday is a third FAI Intermediate Cup final with Avondale United for Eoghan Lougheed.

MANAGER Tommy Dunne heaved a sigh of relief after his Cork City side squeaked through against Bluebell United in their FAI Ford Cup 3rd round replay at the Carlisle Grounds on Tuesday evening.

A WELL-TAKEN Davin O’Neill goal was enough to give Cork City victory in this FAI Ford Cup third-round replay but the First Division team were pushed all the way in Bray by a Bluebell United side who did the Leinster Senior League proud with a classy performance which deserved more than the pain of cup defeat.

THE TIE of the FAI Ford Cup third round is at Oriel Park tonight when league leaders Dundalk host St Patrick’s Athletic in an all-Premier Division clash.

ALAN MATHEWS last night stepped down as Drogheda United manager, after a run of results that has left the former league champions struggling at the wrong end of the Airtricity Premier Division.

CORK’S stranglehold on the FAI Intermediate Cup ended yesterday when the last remaining Munster Senior League club in the competition, Rockmount, bowed out in the last four.

Jason Byrne scored twice as double-chasing Bohemians eased into the semi-final of the FAI Ford Cup.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI and Marco Tardelli did the honours for the FAI Ford Cup Third Round last night but the new Irish management team couldn’t stage-manage any real blockbuster clashes.

SPORTS broadcaster Paul Magee, the son of legendary RTÉ commentator Jimmy Magee, has died following a short illness.

Clontarf scored the only try of this Dublin derby but it was Lansdowne who reigned supreme at the RDS Arena.

A late Glen Crowe winner eased Bohemians' nerves to book their passage through to the quarter-finals of the FAI Ford Cup - but they were made to work very hard for their win over Bobby Browne's Leinster Senior League side.

Bray Wanderers hammered Leinster Senior League side St Mochtas 7-0 in the second round of the FAI Ford Cup yesterday with Paul Dunphy grabbing a hat-trick for the Seasiders.

BANGOR Celtic goalkeeper Brendan Kennedy hopes his League of Ireland experience can help the south Dublin club claim their first FAI Carlsberg Intermediate Cup title at Turner’s Cross tomorrow.

Bangor Celtic have ceded home advantage for tonight's FAI Cup tie with Shelbourne to the Premier Division side.

CORK HARLEQUINS’ Irish international goalie Mary Goode will face her former team-mates at Pembroke Wanderers today when the two sides meet in the ESB Irish Senior Cup at Serpentine Avenue (hit-off 3pm).

Having disposed of non-League Avondale United in the second round, Bray Wanderers once again face unknowns they take on Cherry Orchard tonight.

Bohemians' recent injury problems have not cleared up - they will once again be under strength for the visit of Leinster Senior League side Wayside Celtic.

Brendan Markey is in line for a return to Dublin City after hitting a hat-trick for the Vikings in a friendly against Leinster Senior League side Belgrove.

Dublin City chief executive Ronan Seery has hailed yesterday’s signings of Barry Ryan and Peter Hynes as a boost for the club’s eircom League premier division survival bid.