Killarney Celtic manager Eoghan Donnellan: 'The FAI Cup can help us grow and invest in grassroots'

Kerry District League Premier A side Killarney Celtic hope to make history and reach the last 16 of the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup as they face Cobh Wanderers in Old Church Park at 4pm on Saturday.

Speaking exclusively to extratime.ie, Killarney Celtic manager Eoghan Donnellan spoke of how prestigious it is to play in the cup.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for us to play in the cup,” Donnellan said.

“It is also a great honor to play in the competition and it is a fantastic opportunity to represent our county and our town of Killarney.”

“It is a great reward to the players for their hard work that they can now play at the highest level possible to help them grow and get looked at by the bigger clubs.

“The last 16 is rewarding enough for us should we progress. It is a competition that we do not expect to win and every round we compete in is a bonus for us.

“We reached the last four of the FAI Junior Cup, which has over 670 teams playing in it and eventually lost to Sheriff, who made the quarterfinals of this competition in 2015.”

Donnellan has great praise for the opposition Cobh Wanderers and holds the game in the highest regard.

“It is a fair game for us. Cobh are a great team and won the Intermediate Cup this year so it will be a tough game to win but is winnable.

“We are missing our captain which is a massive blow for us and Cobh also have the home advantage and a time to suit them but we will go out there and perform.”

Killarney have a well rounded squad Donnellan tells us as plenty young options have made their way to the starting 11.

“We have some great players in Killarney. Jamie Spillane was a three-time man of the match winner in the FAI Junior Cup.

“Cathal O’Shea and Matt Keane are two more great talents. Matt formerly played for Limerick and we also have Wayne Sparling, a great young player out wide who is very dangerous.

“We have plenty young lads coming through and overall have a great bunch of lads.”

Having made the preliminary rounds in the past it, this is Celtic's first time playing in the competition proper and the first time a Killarney side play in this stage of the cup.

“We are fortunate to play another non-league side in this competition. We are an amateur club and it would be tough to play against the professional clubs that can pay players a salary.

“They have a much wider pool of the best players to take from any team they can and also have the best facilities around while we do not have those opportunities.”

Mark and his side have dreamed about what could lie ahead if they progress on Saturday.

“We know this is not a competition we can win but I would love if the lads could play the best team possible.

“We can relax and enjoy ourselves against the bigger teams as it would add a feather to our cap to play them.”

“We want to showcase our club at the highest level we can. Playing in this competition can help us to grow and will help us to invest more in our grassroots system with the financial draw it could bring."

“I would love Dundalk or Cork in the cup. Dundalk are a Champions League calibre side and it would be amazing to play a club that has played against the best out there.

“Cork were great to send a team down before the Junior FAI Cup game so it would be great to play them in a competitive fixture as well.

“With Dundalk and a home tie would help benefit us and the town itself.”