FAI quarter-final draw throws up mouth-watering derby clashes

THE draw for the quarter-finals of the FAI Ford Cup has thrown up a brace of appetising derbies, with St Patrick’s Athletic at home to Bohemians in Dublin and Waterford United hosting Cork City in a re-run of last Friday’s Munster match-up at the RSC, which Cork won 3-0.

In the remaining games, holders Derry City take on UCD at the Brandywell while First Division Limerick 37 must travel to Flancare Park to play Longford Town.

Pats manager Johnny McDonnell was not unhappy with the prospect of Dublin rivals visiting Richmond Park.

“We’re at home and there’s a few you wouldn’t have wanted to be away to, like Derry, Cork or Bohs themselves,” he said. “In fact we were dreading pulling UCD out of the hat because we haven’t done well against them this year.”

Following their latest setback in the league at the hands of Longford, McDonnell accepts that the cup has taken on added importance for Pats.

“We’ve got to focus on the cup now. That looks like our chance of getting some silverware this year.”

However, the Pats boss poured cold water on rumours over the weekend that he was about to be shown the door in Inchicore.

“Sure look, amn’t I here?” he quipped after last night’s draw in Dublin Castle. “I’m well used to rumours. This time last year there were a lot of rumours as well and we ended up getting to the cup final.”

Unbeaten at home but having lost six times on their travels, Bohs could have done with home advantage for this one.

“It’s not an ideal draw, no,” Connor agreed. “I think sometimes we’re mentally weak away from home and what I mean by that is we need to realise that it’s okay to take a point and, if we’re not going to score, make sure that we don’t concede. We’ve made Dalymount a bit of a fortress but if we’d drawn away in the league to Drogheda, Bray, Sligo and UCD we’d still be in the title race. So that’s how close we are.”

Limerick 37, the only non-Premier Division team left in the competition, expressed mild disappointed at having to play away to Longford Town.

Said manager Paul McGee: “For the club and for the fans I wanted one of the big guns at home — Cork City would have been a fantastic draw. I’m looking forward to pitting my wits against Alan Mathews who I know well and who is a superb manager.”

The matches are to be played in the week ending September 23.

Cashmans betting on the FAI Cup:

5/2 Cork City, Derry City,

9/2 St Pats,

11/2 Bohemians,

10 UCD,

12 Longford Town,

16 Waterford Utd, Limerick