Munster derby promises night of cup drama
Cork have developed some late season momentum in the league but will know that their 3-0 win in the same venue one month ago will count for little in the context of a cup tie which offers Waterford a chance to emulate their 1-0 victory over Cork back in March.
Says Waterford’s Robbie Hedderman: “There’s no reason why we can’t do it again. Of course, there’s no doubting their quality. Look across their team sheet: McSweeney and O’Flynn will both get you goals; Kearney, good player; Gamble, probably the best midfielder in the country; Farrelly, Healy — but we’re not going to be intimidated by that. It’s a derby game, we’ll get stuck in and if we keep a clean sheet and get a break, we’ll get through to the next round. The derby aspect brings something more to the game. From the supporters’ point of view, it’s about bragging rights in work on Monday morning. So you go out and maybe try that little bit more. I’m sure there’ll be tackles flying in and people will be giving everything. And with the cup adding to it, it makes it a really big game.”
Cork manager Damien Richardson also expects something a bit different from opposition who are struggling to retain their Premier Division status.
“League form goes out the window when the FAI Cup comes to town,” he says. “It’s important we possess a good attitude, a high level of concentration and a deep hunger to ensure a good performance. Anything less could leave us susceptible to a cup upset.”
Striker John O’Flynn is a doubt for Cork with a groin strain and will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness, but Richardson’s counterpart, Gareth Cronin, is facing a severe selection headache after a rash of injury, eligibility and suspension setbacks. One bit of good news for the Blues is that John Hayes is fully recovered and likely to come straight back into the team.
Says Cronin: “This has been a crazy week and the football gods have deserted us. We are down to the bare bones and it looks like I will have a number of the U-21 squad on the bench. Still, the cup is magical, so motivation won’t be an issue. The fact that we are playing Cork is an added incentive and I know that the players will raise their game for this one.”
Longford Town, 3-2 losers away to Cork last week in the league, take a break from their own heroic survival battle to host Limerick 37 in the night’s other quarter final at Flancare Park (kick off 7.30pm).
Says manager Alan Mathews: “We were here at this stage last year, played Pats, didn’t produce, got hammered. A lot of the players who were involved then are still here so they know this is a good opportunity for us. We have to try and win as many matches as we can now. The main thing is to stay in the Premier division. This is a cup game but then we’ve got an awful lot of cup games to play between now and the end of the year. And the mindset we’ve got is that we must win them all.”
Aiming to derail Longford’s cup ambitions are Limerick 37, the only First Division side left in the competition. Managed by the experienced Paul McGee and currently lying fourth in the table, they go into tonight’s game off the back of a 1-1 draw with Wexford Youths in the league and with hopes of springing a cup upset after it took a replay to help them see off Douglas Hall in the last round.
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