Mbabazi an extra incentive for Pats
Mbabazi claimed one of the 13 goals that took St Patrick's clear of their four opponents on their way to the final and although he will not be in their squad, it is certain that he will figure strongly in his colleagues' thoughts in the build-up to kick-off.
St Pats manager Eamonn Collins is saying very little about Sunday's game but that can be taken as evidence of how important St Pats view a final they hope will give them a first win in the competition since 1961.
Their position is complicated, however, by injuries and the certainty that more first-choice players will be unable to take part.
Their powerful midfielder, Davy Byrne, as well as Paul Donnelly and Keith Foley missed St Pat's game against Cork City on Monday.
Longford Town manager Alan Matthews will have a full deck of cards to deal from after confirming yesterday that Darragh Sheridan will be accommodated on the substitutes' bench. He played the second half against Derry on Tuesday after a long lay-off because of an ankle injury.
Longford's appearance in the Cup final is their second in three years and one man who believes firmly they are good enough to compensate for their defeat by Bohemians in their last cup final is Michael Woodlock, chairman of Flancare, who are the club's chief sponsors.
He told me yesterday they had just committed to extend their contract with the club to cover another three years.
"Alan Matthews has done great work with the team and carried on the progress we made under Stephen Kenny. We go into the game as under-dogs, of course, but that is not a problem and we believe we can do it this time," he said
"Longford is a great town it is not a hub or a gateway and the people have to make their own way but they do so brilliantly. The football club is a great binding force and the chairman told me they expect upwards of 8,000 people will travel to Lansdowne."
Longford are confident that Alan Kirby and Sean Francis, both of whom were kept out of the game against Derry, will have shaken off the effects of injury and will play.
Francis who previously played for Cobh Ramblers and Shamrock Rovers has scored three of Longford's ten goals as they defeated Tolka Rovers, Limerick, Waterford United and Galway on their way to the final, and will carry a lot of responsibility at centre-forward.
Said manager Matthews: "We are preparing as well as we can and we'll spend the next two days together in a hotel so that everyone is focused on the job in hand.
"We are trying to get the players to forget that it is the final and to accept that this is a another football match that is their to be won. It is a game that we have to perform in and that must take precedence in everybody's mind over the occasion if we are to succeed."
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