12MATCH WE’LL NOT

Cathcart: This is the biggest game I’ve been involved in, but we won’t be going to Mourneview to sit in and defend... it’s not how we play

01.01.2019 LEE CATHCART insists Rosemount won’t curb their natural instinct to attack as he plots one of the biggest Irish Cup shocks of modern times against Glenavon.

The Amateur League minnows make the trip to Mourneview Park to face a resurgent Lurgan Blues transformed under the stewardship of Gary Hamilton and moving away from their reputation as mere cup specialists towards being recognised as one of the best and most dangerous sides in the country.

Languishing some seven divisions below Glenavon and priced at a massive 500-1 to win the Irish Cup outright, Rosemount are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition and as such will be regarded by many as lambs to the slaughter.

Upsets do happen, of course, and you only have to go back to 2012 for the last big one when Newington famously slayed Glentoran.

But the Glens have been a spent force for a decade now, and were ripe for the picking back then.

The same cannot be said of Hamilton’s young and vibrant team who boast some of the finest players in the Irish League.

But rather than battening down the hatches for a stormy ride this weekend, Cathcart says he will give his players the freedom to express themselves, within reason.

“You can frustrate them as much as possible but if you keep frustrating them that long, then they can hit you and all of a sudden you have sat in that long and you can’t go forward,” explained the Rosemount chief.

“We’ll not be treating this too much different to how we treated Annagh or how we treated teams in the build-up to this game.

“Yes, of course we will sit in tight at times, but we’ll go and have a go at them as well, it’ll not be a case of sitting on the edge of our box for 90 minutes, hopefully not anyway.”

Regardless of how the game pans out, Cathcart says he hopes everyone associated with Rosemount enjoys what is the most prestigious match in the history of the Greyabbey club.

Games like these don’t come round that often of course, and the Rosemount chief is determined to savour the occasion.

“It’s the biggest game I’ve been involved in and the biggest game I would say for any of the players and management, and definitely for the club,” he said.

“So we’re all buzzing for it, we can’t wait. “We’re not going up to get walked all over, we’ll treat this week and treat the game as a normal game as much as we can.

“At the same time, we want to let the boys take it in and experience it but we have enough experience in the team to make sure we don’t go up there and be overawed by it either.

“Everyone will enjoy it but we’re treating it as a normal game.”

The Lurgan Blues will be without arguably their most influential and creative player, Mark Sykes, who appeared to be on his way to Oxford United last night.

Asked who he was wary of, Cathcart rhymed off a list of players.

“Take your pick, one to 11,” he laughed. “What are they sitting, third with a game in hand in the Irish League? We’ve obviously been watching them as much as we can and trying to pick things up but they just have quality all over, [Sammy] Clingan sitting in the middle of the park, Sykes there is different gravy, but it looks like he might be going, [James]

Singleton, [Andy]

Mitchell obviously, he’s their main threat, all over the park they are not weak.”

JAY DONNAN was the star of the Clarence Cup on Saturday as he smashed SIX goals in Crumlin United’s 10-0 rout of Agape.Indeed, it was one-way traffic at the Billy Neill Centre, with the former Malachians striker’s double hat-trick helping to set up a second round tie at Premier Division rivals Ards Rangers on Saturday week.Elsewhere, Albert Foundry’s troubles continued as they slipped to a 3-0 defeat at home to Greenisland, while the 2A pacesetters’ league rivals Plunkett also claimed an Intermediate scalp when they hammered Iveagh 10-1.Crumlin Star’s hopes of emulating last season’s treble are over after they were beaten on penalties by Abbey Villa, while newly-crowned Steel Cup champions East Belfast marched UP AGAINST IT Lee Cathcart is wary of the threat posed by Glenavon stars such as Sammy Clingan (left) on with a 5-2 defeat of Drumaness. Division 2B title rivals Willowbank and Shamrock went head-to-head, with the latter securing a narrow 2-1 win, while Suffolk dumped Malachians out and Colin Valley thrashed Dundonald.