The Cup overflows in North-west

IT’S the big one in the north-west this evening as cup holders Derry City face local rivals Finn Harps in front of an expected sell-out 5,000 crowd at Finn Park in the 3rd Round of the FAI Ford Cup (kick off 7.45pm).

And looking to prevent Derry gain a belated kick-start to their season will be a man who helped bring the trophy back to the Brandywell last year. Harps boss Paul Hegarty was the assistant manager at Derry when they beat St Pat’s in last season’s thrilling final but, as far as he is concerned, that’s all academic since he threw in his lot with the First Division side.

“It means nothing because I’m employed by Finn Harps now,” he says. “I’m a Donegal man too. It’s a big occasion for me but ultimately it’s about the players. All the pressure is on Derry because they’re the cup holders, but we think that if we play to our full potential we can win.