Rangers on a roll with home Cup draw

THE FAI Junior Cup holders from Limerick, Fairview Rangers, were handed another opportunity to create a sensation when they were drawn at home to Finn Harps in the third round of the FAI Carlsberg Cup in Dublin last night.

Fairview, who knocked out Dublin City 4-1 in the previous round, are determined to stage the game in Limerick. They will make all necessary arrangements to satisfy the FAI they can play the game on their own pitch at Fairgreen.

The draw was greeted with acclaim by Fairview. Manager Dave Finnan said: “We are delighted with a home draw and determined to play the game in front of our home supporters.

“It is a great reward for our win against Dublin City and it gives us a great chance of making the quarter-finals. Finn Harps are a very strong side but we would rather play them than one of the big Dublin clubs or Cork City.

Finn Harps’ Derek Wilkinson did not need any reminding that Finn Harps were one of those clubs knocked out by Cobh Ramblers when Cobh were playing in the Munster Senior League in 1983 and made it all the way to the semi-finals.

“This is a potential banana skin for us, we recognise that. It is up to the FAI to decide whether the match can be played at Fairview,” he said.

“We have been warned that Fairview are a good team and any team that knocks out Dublin City 4-1 has to be respected. We’ll be on our guard.”

The draw threw up a couple of fascinating Dublin derbies with St Patrick’s Athletic given home advantage over Shelbourne in a match that qualifies as the match of the round. Coincidentally the teams meet this Friday at Tolka Park in the League.

Shelbourne manager Pat Fenlon said “It’s a fabulous draw and we are already looking forward to it. A match like this is what the Cup is all about.

“What’s good from our point of view is that we have run into a bit of form and we’ve won our last three matches and I’m not a bit worried about going to Richmond Park. Playing away from home can make you even more determined in the Cup.

“That said, I watched St Pat’s beat Shamrock Rovers in the League on Monday and they will be a difficult team to beat.

St Pat’s are confident the game will attract a capacity 8,000 spectators to Richmond Park. Their secretary, Phil Mooney, said the probability was they would make it an ‘all-ticket’ match.

He said: “There will be tremendous interest in this match, especially as we play each other in back-to-back matches. We are delighted that the match will be played on our own ground.

“It is 41 years since St Pat’s won the Cup and that is one hoodoo that everybody at the club is anxious to bury. We have only played two League matches so far but we’ve won the two and our performances against Ghent in the Inter Toto Cup added to our reputation.”

Cobh Ramblers were handed the difficult task of facing Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park. Manager Dave Hill said: “We have got to be realistic and concentrate on doing the best we can and hope for a little miracle.

“When all is said and done it is a Cup game and anything can happen in the Cup.

“Rovers are in exactly the same position we were in when we drew Malahide in the previous round, everyone will expect them to win and we’ve got to take advantage of that.”

Bohemians will play UCD at Dalymount in another big Dublin derby. Team captain Kevin Hunt said: “We beat UCD 2-1 in the League but you know that Paul Doolin will always put a well-organised team on the pitch and they will be hard to beat.