FAI Cup draw Second round draw: Derry City will face Shelbourne at Tolka Park next month in the tie of the Carlsberg FAI Cup second round, the draw for which was made in Dublin yesterday evening.
Of 16 games just two are all Premier Division affairs while another couple involve meetings between teams from outside the league. Longford Town will start their campaign for a third successive cup success at home to Waterford Crystal while Cork City face a much trickier looking trip to Galway United. UCD will have to beat First Division promotion favourites Dublin City in order to secure a place in the third round.
The meeting of Shelbourne and Derry, though, would be a clash between first and third in the league as things currently stand and it is a repeat of the 1997 final when the Dubliners came away winners by two goals to nil.
They also met in the third round last year when the northerners progressed after a replay at the Brandywell that went to penalties.
"We'll go into the game with the attitude that we're going to win it," said City defender Clive Delaney last night.
"We took them back home last year and beat them on penalties and there's no reason why we can't do it again. When we played them earlier this season it was another tight game (it finished scoreless) but we know they're the best side in the country with the best players so it's certainly going to be tough."
Pat Fenlon gave a clear indication of the priorities at Shelbourne by playing down the significance of the draw. "I have plenty more league games to think about before that game so I have no opinion on it," he said.
Last year's beaten finalists Waterford United take on St Patrick's Athletic. "You'd like a home draw at this stage of the competition but there would have been easier games than this," said Alan Reynolds. "After getting to the final last year we'd love to go one better," he added, "but, to be fair, we had an easier run of things early on last year."
Longford, meanwhile, travel to Windsor Park for this evening's Setanta Cup game against Linfield knowing that a win will be enough to guarantee them a place in Saturday week's final of the competition at Tolka Park as well as at least 80,000 in prize money from the tournament sponsors.
In addition to long-term absentees Alan Murphy and Tom Mohan, the visitors will be without suspended defender Stephen Paisley while the hosts are missing midfielder Michael Gault through injury.
The fact that either Shelbourne or Cork City will qualify for the Setanta Cup final from the other group had prompted the postponement of the league game between the two sides that had been scheduled to be played this Friday week. The match will now take place on Monday, May 30th.
Second round draw
Kilkenny City v Finn Harps
Drogheda United v Limerick
Shamrock Rovers v Fanad United
Waterford United v St Patrick's Athletic
Monaghan United v Dundalk
Carew Park
or St Peter's v Douglas Hall
Sligo Rovers v Malahide United
Galway United v Cork City
Kildare County v Galway Hibs
Avondale United v Bray Wanderers
Shelbourne v Derry City
UCD v Dublin City
Longford Town v Waterford Crystal
Cobh Ramblers v Wayside Celtic
Lissadel United v Cherry Orchard
Bohemians v Athlone Town
• Ties to be played on week ending June 12th.
