| Connor asks Rovers to recall Malahide drama |
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| Wednesday, 24 May 2006 | |
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Remember Malahide. Ahead of Saturday’s Carlsberg FAI [Senior] Cup second round tie against Cork minnows Carrigaline United AFC, the Sligo Rovers manager, Sean Connor, has reminded his players of last year’s FAI Cup joust against non-eircom League opposition. By: Liam Ó Maoldhomhnaigh, Courtesy, The Sligo Weekender Rovers, then of the eircom League First Division, found Malahide United, a Leinster Senior League side, sticky opposition as the gusty Dubliners deservedly eked out a 1-1 draw at The Showgrounds. The replay, which took place at Malahide’s Gannon Park, was dragged into extra-time by the home side until a brace of predatory goals from Ballyfarnon’s Paul McTiernan ended any possibility of a giant-killing. Spurred by this embarrassment, Rovers went on to reach the FAI Cup quarter-final, losing to Cork City, the eventual Premier Division champions, via an exceptional and memorable third round defeat of St Patrick’s Athletic at The Showgrounds. Connor is adamant that the lessons learned from playing the likes of Malahide United have been firmly embedded. With the FAI Cup this season’s only route to silverware for Rovers – they are out of the eircom League Cup and aiming for a top six finish in the Premier Division – there is little room for a potential slip-up in Cork. “After [what happened] last year against Malahide, there are enough players in our team who realise that these type of teams can hurt you,” said Connor, “I am glad that we had the experience of playing Malahide because we can see how a team like this can raise their performance on the day.” Carrigaline United, semi-finalists in this season’s FAI Intermediate Cup and currently operating in the Munster Senior League Premier Division, booked their place in the FAI Senior Cup second round following April’s 3-1 away defeat of Tolka Rovers (the same weekend that Munster took on Leinster in the Heineken European Cup semi-final). Tidy striker Danny Kelly’s hat-trick – his second of the season – pulverised Tolka, while another forward, Ken Dennehy, added extra steel to the winners’ rearguard when he reverted to defence in the second-half. According to Connor, Saturday’s game at Turners Cross (kick-off 7.30pm) is essentially a ‘Cup final’ for a club, FAI Intermediate Cup finalists in 1986, who are based on the outskirts of Cork city. “They [Carrigaline] know they are not going to win the [FAI] Cup so they will try to spoil the party for a [Premier Division] club like ourselves if they were to get through to the next round.” The manager will watch events unfold on Saturday evening – but not from his usual vantage point, the dugout. Because of a suspension imposed by the eircom League’s Disciplinary Commission, Connor has to remain at least 50 metres away from the dressing-room, technical area and pitch for at least two hours before the game, as well as during the match and for one hour afterwards. He incurred this one-match ban – and a fine of e100 – as a result of being removed from the technical area by the referee during last month’s eircom League Premier Division game against Shelbourne at The Showgrounds. “It is frustrating not to be involved – but I have got to take my punishment on the chin,” said Connor, “I don’t think that I warranted anything to be sent off [against Shelbourne] but I think, with reflection, that the eircom League have dealt with the issue very sensibly.” “I can’t complain about the fine – or the suspension – and I have got to learn not to fall into that trap again.” The lengthy journey to Cork – Rovers are heading south the evening before [Friday] – allows Connor sufficient time to talk to the players and he will also be having extensive meetings with his assistant, Gareth Gorman, who will take charge of the team for next weekend’s game. “Gareth [Gorman] is doing a great job for me this year – he will take the reigns. We will look at the options and the possible scenarios. We will have a plan of how we want to play and a ‘Plan B’. We will have a plan for substitutions if things are going well – and if they are not.” “I can have no contact whatsoever with Gareth [Gorman] during the game. It [my suspension] won’t affect the performance, although sometimes during a game the players like to look across and see you there [in the dugout].” Having seen his side take points of Dublin giants Shelbourne, St Patrick’s Athletic and Bohemians already this season, Connor is confident that an effective dismissal of Carrigaline can be carried out. “There are two things that you look for in a Cup draw. The first is thing is that you would like a home tie and the second is that you would like to get a team that you are capable of beating. We have got the second part.” “We are up against a team that I feel we are capable of beating – although that puts pressure on us. But I think that I am focused enough and that the players are focused enough to deal with that [pressure].” He would rather be facing Carrigaline in the second round that the aforementioned Shelbourne. “I would play Shels in the final if I had the choice,” he joked, “but seriously, the fact that we are an eircom League Premier Division team – and they [Carrigaline] are not – means that we should have the wherewithal to win.” “It is my job – and Gareth’s – to make sure that the players don’t show any complacency.” “The fact that the game has been switched to Turners Cross also adds to our advantage,” he opinioned, “we were disappointed to get knocked out of the [eircom] League Cup so we have to focus all our attention on the FAI Cup – so that should make us a dangerous team to face.” “We need to score as early as possible because, as we found out with Malahide, the longer the game goes on, and the longer it stays 0-0, they [Carrigaline] always have a chance,” Connor added. And what if Rovers’ journey south were to end in tears? “If we were to lose this game it would be a major, major blow and I would be very disappointed,” the manager stated. Last weekend’s unexpected postponement – Rovers’ scheduled eircom League Premier Division game against Bray Wanderers was cancelled due to a water-logged pitch at the Carlisle Grounds – means that Saturday’s FAI Cup tie against Carrigaline will be Rovers’ first game in two weeks. Connor and Gorman will have to plan without midfielder Conor O’Grady, who, like Connor, is serving a one-match suspension. But Connor expects that injury-plagued forward Darren Mansaram will start against Carrigaline, while teenage striker John Bellew, who recently made his eircom League Premier Division debut, will be part of the squad, as will two other of the club’s U-18 players, Emlyn Mulligan and Sean Kelly. |
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