Fancied Pike all out for cup revenge

LIMERICK’S Pike Rovers are out for revenge when they face St Michael’s of Tipperary in tomorrow’s FAI Junior Cup final at Turners Cross (3pm).

St Michael’s hammered Rovers 5-1 on their way to winning the Munster Junior Cup but the bookmakers make the Limerick District League champions the favourites to lift the cup for the first time in the club’s 73 year history.

Apart from the Munster Junior Cup setback, Rovers have been very impressive this season and knocked out holders and neighbours Fairview Rangers in an earlier round before destroying Bellurgan United 8-0 in the quarter-final and Sheriff YC on penalties in the semi. John Cremins’ St Michael’s have been equally impressive and have three current amateur internationals making up their back four and have only conceded three goals on their way to the final.

The Tipperary Town side, who have won the cup once before in 1974, will be hoping their luck will change — having lost their last three FAI Junior Cup finals, including last year’s heartbreaking penalty shoot out defeat to cup specialists Fairview Rangers. Declan Considine’s Limerick side will need the experienced Wayne Colbert, John Tierney and Pat McGarry to step up to the plate if they are to prevail against Cremins’ outfit, who will be fired up for this final after relinquishing their TSDL League title last week.