Drogs and City gear up for big clash

SHANE BARRETT will definitely miss Saturday’s Setanta Sports Cup final and could be out for as long as a month, according to Drogheda United manager Paul Doolin.

Mark Leech, who replaced him in the semi-final win over Linfield, is also struggling with injury but otherwise Doolin has a full squad to call on for what will be a repeat of last season’s FAI Cup final.

George O’Callaghan (ankle) and John O’Flynn (hamstring) are doubtful for Cork City, and the club are also waiting to see how goalkeeper Michael Devine recovers from his knee injury.

It means reserve keeper Mark McNulty won’t know for another couple of days if he will feature on Saturday and get the chance to replicate his pivotal performance in the semi-final victory over Shelbourne, when his penalty save from Jason Byrne and a number of other exceptional stops helped Cork to a 2-0 win.

However, Devine’s recovery could once again see McNulty condemned to a watching brief, in which case his natural disappointment will be shared by Irish international Liam Miller, who may attend the game if he can get a flight to Dublin after Leeds United’s home match against Crewe.

Former schoolboy team mates at Ballincollig, McNulty and the Leeds midfielder have remained the best of friends since, with Miller quick to phone his congratulations after watching McNulty’s starring role against Shels on TV in Manchester.

With a reduction in seating to create buffer zones, Tolka Park’s capacity for the Setanta final is set at 8,500, with just under 4,000 tickets each going to Cork and Drogheda.