THE sense of anticipation is palpable. Many within the game believe, touch wood, that this 75th FAI Harp Lager Cup final could be a goodie, one to savour. It has so much going for it, and just one underlying concern, literally. The pitch.
Before the rugby community get up in arms, this is not another go at Lansdowne Road. Memories are still vivid of countless Dalymount finals played on a barren, uneven, unwatered surface. Suffice to say, that lashings of overnight rain would be a Godsend.
Because otherwise, this is a mouth watering contest. The first all Dublin final at Lansdowne Road (indeed the first since UCD beat Shamrock Rovers in 84) could bring the neutrals out in force to back the red armies, especially from Inchicore and west Dublin.
On view will be some of the country's best players and, crucially, the contrast in styles holds out so much promise. St Patrick's are the form side with a 23 game unbeaten run which has taken them to the brink of the club's first ever double, the 14th of all time and the first by anyone since Derry in 89.
Shelbourne were out of touch in the league, but a proven bigmatch Cup team, hence they too are in line for the first League Cup and FAI Cup double since Derry's treble seven years ago.
One fervently hopes they both go for it and play their strengths. Whether Brian Kerr maintains the 4-4-2 of late or revetts to 4-3-2-1, they're capable of going for Shelbourne's jugular with an attack minded game, capable of being more direct and pushing more players forward than Shelbourne, and are always liable to score from set pieces.
Shelbourne like to get it down, knock it around and play it wide. When they gel, as in mid season,
They can be a joy to behold; fluid with plenty of movement off the ball, and capable of eye catching one touch pacing football. If the pitch lets them.
Speaking for both camps, Shelbourne's manager Damien Richardson says: "The big unknown is the pitch. It's not necessarily the groundstaff's fault, because they're the victims as much as we are. But that's the one fear I have about the afternoon, the pitch."
Coupled with which is the use of the Umbro ball, by popular consent the lightest and liveliest around. "Under good conditions they're a perfect ball to play with because you're touch has to be good. But if the pitch is bumpy, God knows where it's going to go.
In another way too, the pitch will be a sizeable factor - literally. As Richardson said to John McDonnell in a good natured walkabout at last Monday's final reception, "there's loads of room ton this pitch." A hint of glee was understandable.
"The bigger the pitch, the more it will suit us. Brian will try to confine the game, I know that. We have to get width into our game. That's what sets us apart from everybody else. When we're playing well we have width in our game and nobody can really match that. When we do it well, we do it the best."
If Richardson is an accurate barometer of his team's mood, then they are definitely up for the Cup.
"I want Pat's to play the best they've ever played. I want Shels to play the best they've ever played. I've got great confidence in my team when they rise to the occasion and pass the ball. This final holds no fears for me. I've relished everything about it, and the 90 minutes is just an extension of that."
In the cruelly unfortunate absence of Gary Howlett (missing his third final in four years) Richardson is debating whether to play Tony Sheridan in the central playmaker's role (if not then Darren Kelly), or revert him to the right flank where he has performed at times brilliantly this season.
Dependent then upon that decision is whether both Dave Tilson and Mark Rutherford are accommodated on the flanks. Tilson was the match winner for Bohemians against Cork four years ago and though Rutherford is a slight injury doubt, Richardson expects to have a full strength squad to choose from.
If he plays all his attacking, creative aces the aforementioned trio plus the predatory lone front man Stephen Geoghegan - then as Brian Kerr readily concedes, Shelbourne possibly have more match winners in their ranks.
However, St Patrick's have theirs too. The wide midfielders, Paul Campbell and Paul Osam, have hit their best form of the season and man of the moment Ricky O'Flaherty is scoring goals for fun, and then there is Eddie Gormley.
Kerr expects his midfield lynchpin to have recovered from his strained hamstring. If so, then the team pretty much picks itself, with Kerr agonising over his three substitutions.
Basically, John Byrne and Christy McElligott are liable to miss out, and one from Brian Morrisroe, Johnny Glynn, Martin Reilly and Jason Byrne. Who'd be a manager? "It's not an enjoyable task," concedes Kerr, "but then again it would be worse if we weren't in the final.
"We seem to have the stuff for nearly all occasions, to use the word that's in now for us we've been resilient in places like Cork, Athlone and Dundalk and in our own place we've been brilliant. There's every reason why we can win it, but plenty of reasons why we can lose it."
The former would seem to outweigh the latter. St Patrick's have, remarkably, been unbeaten in 15 League and FAI Cup Dublin derbies this season. They're on a crest of a wave, and Gormley apart, have no real injury concerns. With St Patrick's, we know what we are getting.
With Shelbourne, it could be if and if, and if. But there's a lot of question marks. Will Mick Neville, Declan Geoghegan, Dave Tilson, Mark Rutherford and Stephen Geoghegan all come through 90 minutes? Can they turn on their form again, like a tap?
Admittedly losing finalists tend not to lose again if they reach the final again 12 months later. Rovers (85) Dundalk (88) and Derry (89 and 95) have all underlined that theory. Last year will motivate them and stand to them, no doubt.
They could well win it, but having tipped St Patrick's before the first round, there's no doubt that form points to an historic Inchicore double, perhaps by 2-1. But most of all, one hopes that the players are not inhibited by the occasion or by other underlying concerns.
