Oakley confident C of I will claim last eight slot

THE Cork Church of Ireland women’s team face a long journey north for the second year in a row in this weekend’s ESB Senior Cup, but coach Phil Oakley reckons that the prize of a quarter-final place will be motivation enough for his side.

They face Ards for the second time in two years at this stage of the competition, having beaten them 3-2 last year and Oakley thinks they can do so again this time around.

“Ards put up a good fight last year, so there is an element of déjà vu about this meeting,” he says, adding: “but we’ll be taking nothing for granted.”