Cup headache for flu-hit Midleton

Mungret Cup winners Midleton College face a daunting task in today’s Munster Senior Schools Cup preliminary round at Towns Park (2.30pm).

Midleton face the might of Christian Brothers College Cork, a difficult task made even more so as the East Cork side are struggling to field a full strength side due to illness.

Four of the first-choice team; Ollie Ind, Dan Wardle, Rob Steele and Ollie Kane, have been laid low with a flu virus. They are named, but all are most unlikely to be able to play.

Midleton have applied for a postponement but there was no news last night as to whether that was granted or not.

A spokesman for the college admitted the request might cause difficulties, saying that the availability of the venue for the game had only been finalised yesterday and it would not be available on Saturday as Midleton RFC have a home Ulster Bank League fixture and other schools fixtures next week might preclude the game being pushed out more than a couple of days.

In any event, Midleton have named the same team which recently won the Mungret Cup by beating holders Bandon Grammar; they did so in the hope that one or more of the group might recover sufficiently to play if the game does go ahead.

The CBC team was not available.

Midleton College: E Stapleton, O Bailey, P O’Riordan, L Deane, J Pope, O Kane, O Chambers, R Steele, B Kly, K Crosbie, A Pennington, D Somers, D Wardle, B Moore (captain), O Ind.

Replacements: G Smiddy, P Kingston, J Ottman, A Irwin, R O’Hara, C Simpson, C Lynch, C Sheehy