FAI Preview: Ballynanty Rovers -v- Drogheda United

DROGHEDA UNITED

Drogheda United will travel down to face Limerick Junior opposition Ballynanty Rovers in Fairgreen at 2.30pm this Sunday in the third round of the FAI Ford Cup.

The Louth side got to this round by way of a 4-2 victory over Donegal non-league side Cockhill Celtic in United Park. The side that day was managed by Darius Kierans who will again be in the dugout this Sunday as manager Damien Richardson is out due to a prior family commitment.

The only absentee is Stephen Maher as he is ruled out due to an injury.

Darius Kierans is fully aware of the challenge facing his side as they go to play against the FAI Junior Cup runners up. He appeared to be very happy with his sides performance against Derry midweek recovering from a below par performance against Bohemians on the Friday before. “We had a few below par performances in the defeat to Bohemians last Friday, but it was important from our point of view not to dwell on it. We didn’t play well but there were only small margins in the defeat and it was great that the Derry game came only a couple of days later.”

Kierans is fully aware of the potential banana skin involved in this game and is giving Ballynanty all the respect they deserve “Sometimes league form can go out the window in Cup competitions but you always want to go into these games with a positive mindset and that’s why the victory over Derry was so important. It’s a huge game for Ballynanty as they have nothing to lose and will play with no fear so we have to be professional and give them the respect that they deserve.”

The strengthened squad during the transfer period was best shown when Drogheda defeated Derry midweek a point noted by Kearns when he said “The most encouraging aspect of the win midweek were the performances of Peter McGlynn and Gareth Brady, both who haven’t played that much since arriving at the club, so there is strength in depth in the squad now that we didn’t have earlier in the season which bodes well for the final few weeks of the campaign.”

BALLYNANTY ROVERS

This year’s FAI Junior Cup runners up Ballynanty play host to premier division side Drogheda United in their Fairgreen venue.

They qualified for this round by a 2-1 victory against Phoenix fc from Dublin on the 8^th of June.

Manager Damian Conway has a full strength squad to pick from as he hopes to plot a cup upset against Drogheda United to make up for the Junior Cup Final defeat back in May at the Aviva Stadium.

Club secretary Terry Bussoli was speaking to extratime.ie this evening ahead of the clash and he said when questioned as to what a cup upset would mean to his club he said “I suppose a victory tomorrow would mean everything, I know we had the disappointment of losing the FAI junior final which was a major disappointment having got there, but being able to record a victory over a senior team would be the greatest day in the clubs history.”

Lastly he appealed to the Limerick soccer public to come out in force and support his team “I hope that they would just come out and support their own, It’s not too often we get a team of Drogheda’s calibre to come down to a local club limerick, hopefully the local punters come out and give us as much support as possible”.

Referee: Kevin O’Regan

MATCH FACTS

Both teams beat non-league teams in the previous round.

Both teams lost their respective national final in the past year. Sligo Rovers defeating Drogheda United and St Michaels defeating Ballynanty Rovers.

Drogheda United last won the FAI Cup in 2005 defeating Cork City.

BETTING

Ballynanty Rovers 16/1, Draw 7/1, Drogheda United 1/10.

PREDICTION

Ballynanty Rovers 0-3 Drogheda United

Ballynanty Rovers

Injured: None.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.

Drogheda United

Injured: Stephen Maher.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.