FAI Cup Preview: Shamrock Rovers -v- Longford Town
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SHAMROCK ROVERS
Pat Fenlon will take charge of his first FAI Cup tie as Shamrock Rovers boss when the Hoops host First Division table toppers Longford Town tonight.
It's been twenty-seven years since Rovers last tasted glory in domestic football's Blue Ribband and so boyhood Hoops fan Fenlon will be hoping to spearhead a cessation of that prolonged famine starting with this weekend's clash against the competition's 2004 winners.
With Monday's Dublin derby with Bohemians being postponed shortly before kick-off due to a rather farcical situation surrounding the playability of the Dalymount Park pitch, Rovers come into the game on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw away to Athlone Town.
Despite Longford plying their trade in the League of Ireland second tier, Rovers winger Gary McCabe insists Tony Cousin's side will pose a much stiffer challenge than their divisional status suggests.
“We know it’s not an average First Division side,” he told the Irish Independent.
“They have good players and we can’t cruise through it. We’re going to have to put the same work rate in as a league match.”
In team news, it remains to be seen whether or not Luke Byrne and Ryan Brennan have managed to recover sufficiently enough from recent knocks to come into contention for a place in Fenlon's starting eleven.
LONGFORD TOWN
Tony Cousins will be hoping the former Shamrock Rovers players in his squad can help Longford to cause an upset when they return to Tallaght Stadium for this fourth round cup tie.
Town make the journey to Dublin 24 having surrendered a fourteen game unbeaten run in the league with a 2-1 defeat at home to Galway last week.
Two players that won't be gracing the Tallaght turf for the Midlands side will be Congolese born striker Etanda Nkololo who is ruled out with an ankle injury and ex-Bray Wanderers man Willie Tyrell who will miss the rest of the season with a broken leg sustained in a league clash with Wexford Youths toward the latter part of last month.
Referee: Neil Doyle
MATCH STATS
The last competitive meeting between these two sides was back in 2010 when Rovers came away from Strokestown Road with a 2-1 FAI Cup fourth round win.
Longford players Stephen Rice, Pat Sullivan, Pat Flynn, Don Cowan, Lorcan Shannon and Rhys Gorman were all previously on the books at Tallaght Stadium at one stage or another.
It's been five years since Longford last made the FAI Cup quarter-final stage. The Midlands outfit beat Galway United 1-0 in the fourth round the last time they managed to do so before bowing out to Bray Wanderers 2-1 in a replay.
BETTING
Shamrock Rovers 1/3; draw 7/2; Longford Town 6/1.
PREDICTION
A 2-0 win for the Hoops.
Shamrock Rovers:
Injured: Unavailable
Doubtful: Ryan Brennan(ankle), Luke Byrne
Suspended: None
Longford Town:
Injured: Willie Tyrell (broken leg), Etanda Nkololo (ankle)
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
