Trio expected to line up for Hoops in cup final

Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers will battle it out in the final of the Setanta Sports Cup at Tallaght Stadium tonight, kick-off 6.15pm.

Despite the match taking place in Tallaght, Dundalk are actually the home side for the evening and as a result, Shamrock Rovers will be wearing their away colours.

The Hoops will be without midfielder Stephen O’Donnell, who remains side-lined with a hamstring injury. The former Galway player is expected back in training with the Hoops next week.

Gary Twigg, Chris Turner and Craig Sives all came through Wednesday’s reserve game without complaints and are expected to make the squad.

Rovers boss Michael O’Neill said: “Everyone is looking forward to game. It’s also good to get a break from the league – the games have been coming so thick and fast.

“It would, of course, be very nice to win it. Quite a few of our new players have never won anything before and it would give them a sense of what it’s like to win something, and hopefully push them on for the season.

“We have had two tough games against Dundalk so far this season, and we’re expecting nothing less.

“They have a good squad of players. But most managers in the league know each other’s players well at this stage, so there shouldn’t really be any surprises. We should be in for a good game.”

Dundalk must plan without Eoghan Osborne who remains out with a fractured tibia and Stephen Maher who is struggling with a groin strain.

Otherwise, Lilywhites boss Ian Foster should be at full strength for the trip to Dublin.

Foster said: “I think over 36 games, we’ll fall short of Shamrock Rovers because we’re not at that level yet, but in a one-off game I think we can certainly count ourselves up there and give ourselves a 50/50 chance of lifting the cup.

“The Setanta Cup has been wonderful. If we win or lose we’ll turn our attentions to the league, because that’s our bread and butter, that’s what we get paid for, and we want to finish as high as we possibly can in the League of Ireland Premier Division.”

Foster added: “We’ll do our final bits and pieces, and yes we will practice penalties.”