Holders Drogheda to host Crumlin as big guns avoid each other in FAI Cup 2nd-round draw
THE LEAGUE OF Ireland's Premier Division big guns avoided each other in the draw for the FAI Cup second round, with all 10 top-flight clubs paired against lower-league opposition in ties due to be played on the weekend of 18-20 July.
Cup holders Drogheda United were drawn at home to Crumlin United, while Premier Division champions Shelbourne will travel to FAI Junior Cup winners Fairview United of the Limerick District League.
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Record cup holders Shamrock Rovers will host Stephen Elliott's Wexford, with Bohemians travelling across to fellow Dublin northsiders Killester/Donnycarney.
Like Shels, Derry City have an away day in Limerick on their hands as they meet Treaty United, currently sitting in fourth place in the First Division.
The Premier Division's bottom side, Sligo Rovers, will face First Division leaders Dundalk at Oriel Park, while St Patrick's Athletic host UCC.
Galway United will welcome Dublin Tolka Rovers west, and Cork City will also host Dublin opposition in the shape of Leicester Celtic.
Republic of Ireland international Robbie Brady was on hand to conduct the draw at FAI headquarters and had special interest in the fortunes of St Mochta's, for whom his younger brother Liam plays as a central midfielder. The Clonsilla side will head for Premier Division club Waterford.
There will be at least one non-league team in the third-round draw as Galway's Salthill Devon were drawn at home to Tipperary side St Michael's.
The Cup is effectively worth at least €700,000 to its winners because it offers passage to Europa League qualifiers and, in the event of a defeat during those qualifiers, a backdoor opportunity to land into the Conference League.
FAI Cup 2nd-round draw
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Irish Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
‘A pub team would have better energy' - Damien Duff slams his Shelbourne players
Damien Duff has slammed his players in the wake of Friday's defeat to Derry City, claiming that 'pub teams' would be more motivated than his League of Ireland champions. The Tolka Park chief launched a dramatic broadside after the display at Tolka Park - and he wondered whether he would get a reaction on Monday in Waterford. Duff, who led the team to glory last season, also issued an ominous warning ahead of the summer transfer window when he said: 'Maybe something has to change.' Reflecting on the Derry defeat, he said that Shels' post-break schedule of three games in a week - against Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick's Athletic and Derry - was no excuse for Friday's performance. 'I'll never give them an out of three games in a week,' he blasted. 'As I said to them at half-time, as I said to them at the end of the game, how well did you as individuals prepare? Did you have an hour in the sunshine yesterday or today? 'I'd say I prepared better than some guys. Granted, even when you do prepare, you might come in flat, lack of energy. 'How motivated are you then to pull yourself out of that rut, give yourself a talking to? I think some of our guys just accept it and sit there for the night. 'They are hurting, as they should be and we should be. 'The way I prepared (for Friday's game), my wife wants to kill me at times. I'd a three, three-and-a-half hours siesta, ate really well, rested, prepped, prepped my mind, everything. 'They might prove me wrong, but I would say I prepared better than some players. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'I don't want to be the lunatic on the sideline. I'd say the Riverside could hear me, because it did have a testimonial feel, a lack of energy, and Derry want to play that way. 'I think you could end up hearing Zach Bryan over what was going on here, and rightly so, there wasn't a lot going on. 'But yeah, I'm a raving lunatic on the side, because I'm full of energy, full of spark, full of motivation. That wasn't there on the pitch.' Former Chelsea and Newcastle star Duff appears to be fed up with the reliance on him to drive performances from the sidelines. 'As I said upstairs to the lads at half-time, at full-time, for four years, yeah, the staff as well, but I guess it's me, I've driven this with my energy, with my spark, with my motivation, I've driven it,' he said. 'And you can get 22 players down there now and they'll agree. But it shouldn't be. How motivated are you as a player, as a team? Should the manager have to lead everything? 'Some days I'm on my knees because it's my energy and they suck it. No, it's your inward motivation. What have you got, guys? How much do you want to defend that title? 'You won it last year; well done, it's forgotten. 'It is still me driving me, it's still me, Joe, the two voices you could hear today, who were they? Me and Joe. Anyone else? No. 'But it's on me because my players, our players, Shelbourne Football Club, that squad of players, who I love, ain't going to take control of that. 'Still, we look to Damien. I've played football and everything, it comes from within, and there was zero within tonight.' Asked if Europe was coming at a good time to help shift the focus off Shels' flagging title defence, he made his 'pub team' claim. Duff said: 'This (the Premier Division) is your bread and butter. They are in Europe, in the Champions League, because of the league. 'I asked them before the (Derry) game, I said it's 18 days until the Champions League, and I said if they'd have a Champions League mentality, motivation, energy here. 'I'd say pub teams have better motivation, energy, quality than us. Damning words, but I'm correct in saying them.'
The 42
6 hours ago
- The 42
'He has that Corkness in him. It's not arrogance' - The brilliance of Cathal O'Sullivan
AT THE END of his very first training session in charge of Cork City, Tim Clancy sidled over to teenager Cathal O'Sullivan and asked him where he wanted to be in 18 months' time, at which point he would be 18. 'England,' replied O'Sullivan, without missing a beat. Six months later, Clancy asked him the same question and received the same, instant answer. By England, O'Sullivan means the Premier League. That move looks likely to come to fruition this summer, with Crystal Palace among the top-flight English clubs interested. 'He can be whatever he wants', says O'Sullivan's team-mate Seani Maguire. 'He's one of the best young fellas I've probably played with, and that includes in England.' O'Sullivan has been on a three-year professional deal with Cork City, but that expires at the end of this year. Had he been tied longer-term to the kind of deal St Pat's struck with Mason Melia, O'Sullivan's transfer fee would likely have exceeded €1 million. City must therefore decide whether to lose him at the end of the season for nothing but a mandated compensation fee of approximately €290,000, or sell him this summer and negotiate a sell-on clause and performance-related add-ons. Advertisement The latter is the likeliest to come to pass, though it would mean City will have to stave off relegation this season without a key attacking player, given O'Sullivan has played in all but 21 minutes of their last 13 games. O'Sullivan has been playing off the right side of Cork's attack under new manager Ger Nash, but is viewed as being most effective in central areas, if not as a number 10, then as an attacking player drifting inside on to his left foot to create from the half-spaces. O'Sullivan's raw talent is easily discerned, and was obvious to Cork City's academy when he first arrived, playing in an U13 team that featured Matthew Moore, now at German club Hoffenheim. He was rich in game intelligence: O'Sullivan knew when to carry the ball and when to pass, and knew the right time and weight to put on that pass. He also had the innate intelligence to understand how to use his small frame. He effortlessly took the ball on the half-turn, knew how to angle himself to shield possession and then push away from pressure, and developed the kind of craft needed to help him beat his opponent. Watch how O'Sullivan will sometimes skip by his marker and then run under his arm, knowing the opponent then has only two options: let him go, or foul him with such blatant cynicism they are likely to be booked. The City academy quickly realised their work with O'Sullivan was mainly about coaching off-ball work, as they were determined not to coach the natural talent out of him. O'Sullivan in action against James Norris of Shelbourne in a recent Premier Division tie. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO Modern academy dogma teaches players to take two to three touches and then pass, to the point their dribbling abilities can be hammered out of them. City academy head Liam Kearney had his own experience like this, signed by Nottingham Forest as a winger and then told to pass more often and dribble less. O'Sullivan has continued to express himself at first-team level, as anyone who has take a trip to Turner's cross of late will attest. 'He just loves playing football,' says Kearney. 'When I look at Cathal, he has that Corkness in him. It's not arrogance, it's, 'I believe I am very good and I am here to show people that.'' But talent alone is never enough. 'You can see as clear as day how good he is on the ball, I think it's just his attitude towards everything', says Maguire. 'I think that's what teams in England will look for first.' That attitude has already been tested. The O'Sullivan secret was long out by the time he was 16, and thus was subject of interest from clubs in England and across Europe. Then, in a training session with the Irish U16s, he leapt to attack a back post header and landed awkwardly on his knee, suffering a serious ACL injury. A lonely, isolated rehabilitation followed, during which the overseas clamour to sign O'Sullivan was somewhat stalled. He recovered, however, with figures at the club remarking at the physical shape in which he returned. Consider his recovery as part of that above mantra. I believe I am very good and I am here to show people that. He has some areas in which to improve, with seven goals and seven assists across 43 league games in both tiers for City a return with some room for improvement, though O'Sullivan is widely seen as a profile of player who will flourish in a team stocked with better players. And while Maguire is among those to attest to O'Sullivan's toughness, an elite-end Premier League academy will also have the staff and resources to do a little more work on his upper body strength and his explosiveness. 'He'll definitely play for Ireland, he's that good', says Maguire, 'and he'll definitely go and play at the highest level in football in England.'
Sunday World
12 hours ago
- Sunday World
No political overtones to Linfield v Shelbourne, it's all about cold, hard cash
Blues desperate to boost their coffers with Champions League money having failed to attract the finance they need David Healy, right, will be desperate to get the better of Damien Duff and his Shelbourne side in the Champions League. Photo: David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press Shels v Blues, North v South, Duff v Healy, the scene is set for a mammoth showdown between the champions of Ireland next month at Tolka Park. Linfield v Shelbourne in the Champions League has more angles than a protractor, both on and off the field of play. When the Irish League champions meet the League of Ireland champions next month it will be 19 years since their last encounter. The South Belfast team emerged victorious from that Setanta Cup clash, winning 2-0 over the two legs. That result was not as big a surprise as the match between the two clubs the year before when Linfield caused shockwaves by winning the inaugural Setanta Cup in 2005. Under former Linfield hero Pat Fenlon, Shels were top dogs in the League of Ireland having won the title in the two previous years and were big favourites to beat the upstarts from the North. The final was played at Tolka Park on May 21 and home advantage was also thought to swing it in favour of the powerful Dublin club. However, Linfield's feared twin strikers Glenn Ferguson and Peter Thompson struck early in the first half to stun Shels and carry the cup back to Belfast. Linfield were dominant domestically under David Jeffrey back then and are league champions once again under current boss David Healy. Meanwhile, Damien Duff took his first step into club management in 2021 and last year guided the Drumcondra outfit to their first league title since 2006. Shels won it in thrilling fashion, beating Derry City 1-0 on the last day of the title race to pip Shamrock Rovers to the crown. Former Blackburn, Chelsea and Republic of Ireland midfielder Duff has been a colourful addition to the League of Ireland, never shy to duck issues, often with a dash of humour. His Linfield counterpart is also a very strong character and equally willing to make his opinions known. The former Manchester United, Fulham and Northern Ireland striker returned to the province to take on the reins of his boyhood club almost 10 years ago. After a rocky start, Healy went on to win four titles in a row and has won six in total after wresting the Gibson Cup from Larne's grip this year. Duff and Healy know each other through mirrored careers and mutual friend and former teammate Keith Gillespie. Some have tried to dress this clash up as an orange v green affair, North v South, the tired tribalism of the island of Ireland. That is merely wallpaper as far as the managers are concerned, for both have more important matters to worry about. Yes, there are bragging rights for fans and glory for the victors, but when all is said and done, this tie is all about cold, hard cash. Linfield are historically the richest, most successful team in the Irish League, and at one stage that might have applied to the entire island. In recent years, though, Larne, Glentoran and, laterly, Coleraine have overtaken the Blues in terms of spending power, causing much angst in the Linfield boardroom. The powers that be have traditionally held a sense of entitlement, but their 57 titles suggest a sense of superiority would be more apt. They have to be No 1. They have to be champions. Failure is not an option. Deliver or you're out is the maxim at Windsor Park. After losing the title to Larne twice in a row, had Healy not won the league last year, the likelihood was that he would lose his job and the club would revert to part-time status. Linfield posted a loss of £662,000 last year and it is significant that new contract negotiations with Healy were held back until after the Champions League draw was made this week. Having come close on two occasions previously, Linfield are desperate to reach the group stages of European competition, for the lucrative prize money more than the prestige. Linfield last year announced it was exploring the possibility of injecting cash into the club by selling a minority shareholding. This was deemed necessary to compete against Larne, now Coleraine are flexing their financial muscle too. But so far the club's endeavours to bring in new money has proved fruitless, leaving lucrative European prize money as the remaining avenue to bringing millions into the coffers. The Blues are worried about losing their status as the elite club in Northern Ireland, never mind the entire island. Shamrock Rovers have emerged in recent years as the most powerful club in Ireland, North and South, as their European heroics last year proved. Rovers were pitted against Larne in the group stages of the Conference League, the first time any Irish League team had achieved the feat. Tiernan Lynch's side had won the Irish Premiership for two years in a row and had dreams of becoming the elite team in the land. There was much hype about this 'All-Ireland' clash, but on the night at Windsor Park, Rovers gave the Invermen a lesson, exposing a huge gulf in class in the 4-1 win. Trying to glean information from this formline is futile as Shels and Linfield are two different teams. Healy has been relatively quiet in the market since winning the title in May, signing only former Larne right-back Sean Brown. He feels the business he did earlier this year in signing Kieran Offord, Callumn Morrison and Alex Gorrin will bear fruit next season. A significant problem for Linfield is the fact that Shels are midway through their domestic campaign, whereas the Blues lost 4-1 to TNS in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Thursday. This undoubtedly gives the Dublin club another advantage, so Healy is up against it, but this is when he is at his most dangerous. He feeds off being written off, it galvanises him; he's like Popeye after eating spinach, and he loves being the unfancied underdog. Finally, there is the security aspect, but this has been overplayed. It's not Linfield v Rovers or Derry. The two teams have played before without issue and this is not the sort of tie that is likely to attract the mindless minority within Linfield's support. As with most clubs, the supporters who watch their team week in, week out are not troublemakers. They are passionate, vocal and proud, and they despair of the neanderthalic element that turns up for the occasional game. The battle will be won and lost on the field of play.
