Tough test for ‘Well as Aviva bid continues
favourites to land a second Tully Bookmakers Challenge Cup, and with home advantage they could prove sticky opposition for the Kilkenny outfit.
Looking ahead to the fixture, Gartland (pictured below) said:
‘It’s the first time we’ve ever been to this stage of the FAI Junior Cup, we’re four games away from the Aviva and we have to believe.
‘You’re going to start meeting good teams at this stage of the competition and it’s going to be hard against Evergreen who beat AUL leaders Kilbarrack at the weekend and are still in the Leinster Senior Cup as well [facing Firhouse Clover for the right to play Longford Town in the fourth round].
‘I’m trying to get through to the Kilbarrack manager to find out what way they were set up, but I waswa talking to the East Wall manager ag and he said they are big and physicalph and they have a couple of Gaelic lads in the team.’
Mindful of the danger posed by 22-year-old Drennan, who little more than two years ago was on Astons Villa’s books and in 2014 playedpl 20 matches in England’s LeagueLe 2 for Carlisle United and Portsmouth,Po Gartland feels that theth ‘Well may have to adapt their traditionaltra expansive game.
‘We usually play on a big, wide pitch,pi but I have to give these a bit of respect and so we’re going to try and squeeze the pitch in as much as we can and try to stop getting their wingers involved.
‘Realistically we will be trying to suck them in and hit them on the break and maybe play for set pieces.’
The unenviable task of nullifying the threat of Drennan, who quit Shamrock Rovers last summer citing his battle with depression, could fall on the shoulders of Emmet Carolan, but Gartland has no worries about giving his young centre-half the job, given his big-match experience in the GAA.
‘Emmet played with Drogheda United Under-19s last season and he’s been doing pre-season with them down the gym. He’s going on 19 and is a hell of a fella.
‘He won two Minor Championship medals with Newtown Blues and played in the final when he was 16 and he has brother Dean [who is also in the Newfoundwell team] to look after him as well.’
Sunday’s FAI Junior Cup sixthround tie has a 1pm kick-off at St Joseph’s.
Bellurgan United and Navan Cosmos will also be representing the North East League at the last32 stage on Sunday, but both those clubs have difficult away assignments against Kilmallock United and Abbeyfeale United respectively.