St Patrick's Athletic will be without Greg Bolger and Aaron Greene for the first of tomorrow's semi-finals, with the pair suspended and cup-tied respectively for a game that older supporters might feel has just a hint of revenge mission about it.
Finn Harps are just one of the clubs that have extended the now 53-year wait for cup glory for the Richmond Park outfit who lost to tomorrow’s opposition in the 1974 final at Dalymount Park.
The Dubliners will start this weekend's encounter as firm favourites, a status Harps boss Ollie Horgan has been keen enough to bolster over the past few days, although the visitors should be in good shape for the game, as he rested most of his first team players in Wexford on Monday night.
Certainly their American midfielder Pat McCann is excited about the prospect of being involved in what will be his biggest game for the club since arriving in Ballybofey a little over a year ago.
“Yeah, it’s a big opportunity,” says the 23-year-old New Yorker.
“I think it will be a lot of fun. Our focus is to prepare properly and get as organised as we can and what happens on the day happens.”
Shelbourne win
The club’s recent form wouldn’t inspire too much confidence but McCann, like
Liam Buckley
earlier this week, points to the 3-2 home win over Shelbourne as evidence of the character they are capable of showing on their day.
For the club, a first final since their dramatic defeat by Bray Wanderers in 1999 would be a major achievement.
For McCann, a Holy Cross College, Boston graduate who was talked into coming to Ireland by a Harps-loving immigrant to the United States, it would clearly be a dream come true.
“We’re playing last year’s champions at their place so that’s something to go home with,” he says. “But Jesus, to make it to the Aviva!”
If this is all new territory for McCann then it's painfully familiar to Shamrock Rovers' Ronan Finn, the Dubliner having gone out of the competition twice previously at the semi-final stage.
"You can't describe it," he says ahead of tomorrow's clash with Derry City.
“I played in a semi-final for UCD and Longford beat us 1-0 . Then, last year, we were brilliant against Pats in the quarter-final but never showed up (against Sligo). That bus journey home last year was just a nightmare. It was like somebody died.
Third time lucky?
“So the two semi-finals that I’ve played in have kind of passed me by.
“Hopefully this will be third time lucky. We deserved to be beaten by Sligo last year so we know how important it is that we show up on Sunday.”
Jason McGuinness returns from suspension for the Dubliners while Derry City boss Peter Hutton has a number of injury concerns with goalkeeper Ger Doherty, Aaron Barry, Barry Molloy and Stephen Dooley all considered doubts for a game on which, it appears, both clubs' seasons hang.
