FAI Preview: Sheriff YC -v- Shamrock Rovers

• Macdara Ferris
• Sat, Jun 07 2014




SHERIFF YC

It is a trip of less than a couple of miles from their Commons Street headquarters to Tolka Park for Sheriff YC this evening where they will play their FAI Cup second round fixture against Shamrock Rovers (kick off 5pm).

 

The 2012 and 2013 FAI Junior Cup winners, Sheriff get a chance to take on the record all-time FAI Senior Cup holders Shamrock Rovers for the second year running. The two sides met in Third Round cup action last year with the Hoops of Rovers beating the Hoops of Sheriff YC 3-1 in Tallaght Stadium.

 

Like Rovers, Sheriff made it all the way to the semi-final of this season’s Leinster Senior Cup. The north inner city club went 2-0 down within ten minutes against Longford Town in Clontarf but Alan McCabe’s second half goal got them back into the tie although they couldn’t find an equaliser to take the game to extratime.

 

En-route to that semi-final they defeated Glebe North, Crumlin United and Kilbarrack, with McCabe getting the winner in that quarter-final.

 

 

SHAMROCK ROVERS

The search for Shamrock Rovers’ illusive 25^th FAI Cup win begins in Tolka Park this evening. While the Hoops top the all-time table with 24 Cups win, more than the second (Dundalk), third (Shels) and fourth (Bohs) placed teams combined, it is 27 years since they last won the FAI Cup.

 

While the cup hasn’t been a winnable competition in a generation, this current Hoops squad have a good pedigree in knock out competitions. Bar the FAI Cup, they won all the other cup competitions they entered last year. A consolation cup collection some might argue but their minor treble of winning the Setanta Sports Cup, EA Sports Cup and Leinster Senior Cup in 2013 was no mean achievement.

 

This year they have lost at the semi-final stage of two of those competitions with their postponed quarter-final with Cork City in the EA Sports Cup still to come. That will now take place on Monday 21^st July in Tallaght.

 

The 2014 Rovers team will not want to make history by losing tonight – the Hoops have been eliminated from the FAI Cup by a non-league side just once. That was back in 1949 when a St. Patrick’s Athletic side, then playing in the Leinster Senior League, won 2-1 at Milltown.

 

“It could be a dangerous game for us, if we don't approach it properly,” was Hoops Boss Trevor Croly’s assessment of this second round match. “We played Sheriff last year and we have seen them recently and they are very good. They also have a winning mentality, which could prove dangerous for us. We need to be well up for this game."

 

Gary McCabe is available for tonight’s tie despite his sending off for two yellow cards last week in the win over Sligo. He will miss the Hoops’ home league game against Cork City next Friday, which is the last match before the mid-season break. Stephen McPhail’s broken rib keeps him out of this game while Luke Byrne will be unavailable until after the break following a procedure to repair cartilage in his knee.

 

Referee: Tomas Connolly.

 

 

MATCH STATS

Shane Robinson, Thomas Stewart and Mark Quigley scored the goals for Rovers when the teams met last season in the FAI Cup with John Rock scoring for Sheriff YC. Only five of Rovers’ starting line up from that tie in August remain at the club.

 

Shamrock Rovers defender Jason McGuinness is a former Sheriff YC player.

 

Ciarán Kilduff is the leading goalscorer for Shamrock Rovers so far this season. The striker has scored five league goals along with a goal in both the EA Sports Cup and Leinster Senior Cup.

 

 

BETTING

Shefiff YC 10/1; draw 5/1; Shamrock Rovers 1/5.

 

PREDICTION

3-0 away win.

 

 

Sheriff YC:

Injured: Unavailable.
Suspended: None.

 

Shamrock Rovers:

Injured: Stephen McPhail, Luke Byrne.
Suspended: None.