Cork face Wexford in pick of cup ties

With six EA Sports Cup first round games down for decision tomorrow night, the pick of the ties will be at Turner’s Cross where last season’s beaten finalists Cork City face First Division side Wexford Youths for the fifth consecutive year in this competition.

Although newly promoted Cork have struggled in the top tier so far this season, with just a single point garnered after four games, they will fancy their chances against Shane Keegan’s Youths side.

Shane Duggan will serve the last match of his three game suspension but other than that, City boss Tommy Dunne doesn’t have any fresh injury worries.

Both teams come into the game on the back of very long away trips, with Cork coming home from Derry with their tails between their legs on Friday night, while Youths won away to Finn Harps in Ballybofey on Saturday. Keegan has done well in the dugout at Youths since arriving from FC Carlow and they currently have seven points from 12 in the second tier.

Elsewhere, on the back of their 4-0 defeat to Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne will be looking for a morale boost when they host Mervue United at Tolka Park. Alan Mathews is likely to rest a couple for this tie against the Galway side but the Premier Division outfit should still have more than enough to advance against a Mervue side that have lost all four league games and currently prop up the First Division.

There might not be much to separate an unpredictable Waterford United from UCD at the RSC, though the Blues’ injury troubles continue. Adam McSherry and Gary Keane are ruled out, with Jack Doherty, David Breen and John Frost all major doubts, although Seamus Long returns from suspension.

Martin Russell’s students will travel southwards without goalkeeper Ger Barron and Mick Leahy, while there are doubts over Samir Belhout, Gary Burke and Sean Russell.

Athlone, who have got off to a flying start in the First Division with three wins out of four, welcome  a Drogheda United team that have impressed since that start of the month to Lissywoollen and that is likely to be an intriguing clash.

Mick Cooke will rest a few for this clash, giving some of his fringe players a shot, and Peter Hynes and Ryan Brennan are both 100% out through injury.

Finn Harps, meanwhile, enter something of the unknown when the Mayo League travel to Ballybofey, while Fanad United will face a stiff test when they travel to Gortakeegan to face Monaghan United.

All games kick off at 7.45pm, apart from the Shels against Mervue and Monaghan versus Fanad ties, which both get underway at 8pm.