Corinthians flying the Cork flag in FAI Cup

College Corinthians manager Gary Hackett. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

College Corinthians will fly the only Cork flag in the third round of the Club Orange Men’s FAI Cup when they face Drogheda United on home soil on Saturday, kick-off 4:00pm.

Gary Hackett and his players are one game away from the quarter-finals, and they are out to record one of the biggest ever results for one of the most storied schoolboy clubs in Ireland.

The reigning FAI Intermediate Cup champions will approach this at the start of their season, and everyone involved is choosing excitement over fear as the clock ticks towards Saturday.

“I’m looking forward to the game and there’s a lot of excitement in the club,” Hackett said.

“It’s such a prestigious tournament. It is a pleasure and we are taking great pride to be still involved. We’re the last Cork team in the tournament and I would have attended many cup finals down through the years watching Cork City, so to be at this stage of the tournament is something I am very proud of as a manager.” 

Corinthians have played just two competitive games so far this campaign. The first was against Bangor Celtic in the FAI Cup and that was followed by a defeat to Mayfield United in the Keane Cup. Drogheda are up next in a packed August that will include a meeting with St. Mary’s in the FAI Intermediate Cup quarter-finals.

“It’s very early in our season so the fitness levels aren’t where we would like them to be,” Hackett added.

“We’re probably behind the curve compared to the League of Ireland teams that are mid-season. It is what it is. It is bittersweet with the buzz that we have looking forward to the game. We have lots of injuries. Nine of our squad are out injured at the moment so we’ll have a very young team playing on Saturday, but it is going to be great for them to get big match experience. It’s going to be a great thing for them to say they played in the FAI Cup.” 

The game comes at a historic time for Corinthians after a year that saw the club claim the FAI Intermediate Cup and FAI Youth Cup.

The Drogheda game feels like the culmination of years of work for everyone at Castletreasure. Many people who worked to get to this point can’t be there on the day. Hackett will carry them in his thoughts on the sideline.

"There are very special people close to me who can’t be there on the day for various reasons who will be in my mind every minute of the 90," he said.