A midfield tussle between two young Zimbabweans, Mike McKillop of Corinthians and Warren Gilmore of Monkstown, will be a feature of the only all first-division tie in the Leinster Senior Cup at Whitechurch Park tomorrow. They have been lively figures since their arrival in September.

The primary aim of both sides is to qualify for the All-Ireland league play-offs but a good run in the provincial cup competition would be encouraging. Monkstown, with a greater proportion of home-bred players, may be more durable. A win tomorrow would yield a second-round meeting with Trinity, who surprisingly failed to make a successful defence of the Mauritius Cup in Limerick this week.

In contrast, DCU have excelled in the universities championship but in Dublin circles they will continue to miss several leading players from outside clubs. It will be difficult for a weary team to beat St James's Gate at the Iveagh Grounds this weekend.

UCD, though chuffed to reach the universities semi-finals, and strongly in the running for promotion in Leinster, can only hope to avoid being totally submerged by Pembroke Wanderers, the cup holders, at Serpentine Avenue.