City seeking cup revenge in Setanta showpiece at Tolka

TOLKA PARK has been confirmed as the venue for the Setanta Cup final between Cork City and Drogheda United on Saturday April 22 (7.45).

This will be the second consecutive year the Dublin venue has hosted the final, and it means the eircom League First Division game between Shamrock Rovers and Limerick, scheduled for the same venue on Friday, April 21, has been postponed.

The Cork City v Sligo Rovers and Derry City v Drogheda United Premier Division games set for the same date have also been postponed.

Drogheda United’s 1-0 win over holders Linfield at Windsor Park on Tuesday, following on from Cork’s 2-0 victory against Shelboure the previous night, means the Setanta Cup decider will again pit last year’s FAI Cup finalists against each other. Drogheda emerged 2-0 winners on that occasion but Cork have had the better of their encounters in the Setanta Cup this season.

In last season’s FAI Cup final, the huge travelling support for both teams swelled the crowd at Lansdowne Road to over 25,000. With its 9,000 capacity, Tolka Park should play host to another healthy attendance for the televised game on April 22, and not least because the Rebel Army can expect to be boosted by supporters travelling early to Dublin for the following day’s Heineken Cup semi-final between Munster and Leinster.

Iarnród Eireann are organising a special train to Dublin from Cork for the Setanta final, leaving Cork at 11.30 on Saturday morning and returning at 11.15pm.

Cork City manager Damien Richardson is looking forward to renewing acquaintance with Paul Doolin’s Drogheda.

“If you look at the performances of the teams throughout the Setanta Cup, reaching the final is well deserved for both Cork and Drogheda,” he said.

“It’s very important now that we make the cup final pay. It’s an occasion and an opportunity to show how good the eircom League is and how good the Setanta Cup is. Overall, this competition has been a huge success so far.”

As well as unofficial ‘all Ireland champions’ bragging rights, the winners will pick up €150,000.