Rico relishing cup clash as ‘big two’ collide

DROGHEDA United may be lording it over the rest at this early stage of the league season, and Derry City may have been the club who came closest at the end last time, but there’s an inescapable sense of the eircom League’s “big two” colliding as Cork City host Shelbourne in the Setanta Cup semi-final at Turner’s Cross this evening (kick-off 8pm).

Partly that’s down to the traditional Cork-Dublin sporting rivalry, and partly it’s because City broke Shels’s attempt at three-in-a-row titles last season. Add in the fact that’s there’s no love lost between the two camps and you’ve got a recipe for a night of high-stakes cup drama at the Cross.

If further spice were needed, this is the first meeting of the two sides since Liam Kearney and Greg O’Halloran defected, as the faithful would see it, from Leeside to Liffeyside during the close season. O’Halloran is ruled out through injury and winger Kearney is likely to start on the bench for Shels, while Alan Bennett is rated 50/50 for Cork and striker John O’Flynn is struggling to overcome a groin strain.