Hoare’s record booster
SEAN HOARE boasts a remarkable record of winning at least one trophy in each of his seven seasons as a top flight footballer.
He has that winning knack and can play his part in Dundalk winning a treble later this afternoon, becoming the first club in 30 years to do so.
But the Dubliner - who lifted those trophies with St Pat’s and now Dundalk - insists superstition plays no part in his build-up to these big occasions.
“I’m not remotely superstitious,” he told Mirror Sport. “A lot of the lads are and it annoys me to be honest. “Lads putting their right boot on first, or their left shin guard. Ah here!
“There’s even one player I won’t name who has to be handed a specific piece of equipment by the kit manager, Noel, and not by anyone else. “It’s tape, so if he’s taping up his socks, it has to be handed to him by the kit manager and not another player.
“I can’t throw it to him, for example. And he does it for every single game we play. It’s a bit of a mad one! “I don’t buy into that stuff myself.
“I’m a firm believer that if something is going to happen in a game, it’s going to happen whether you’ve put the right boot on first or walked under a ladder.
“There are certain pressures that come with the FAI Cup final because of what it is. But it’s where you want to be and it’s why we make sure we’re there every year.”
Today, Hoare (above) is tipped to step out from centre-back and play as a holding midfielder owing to Chris Shield’s shock suspension.
Hoare is relishing the battle with Shamrock Rovers and is just glad to see the back of Cork City after four FAI Cup final clashes in-a-row with the Rebels.
“Truth be told, I haven’t watched a minute of last year’s final back,” he said. “Winning was great but it was such a poor game, I had no interest in a second look. This year will be a better spectacle. The way Cork set up against us was well documented.
“But I think Rovers will do it differently. They will try and play against us and have that ambition. It will make for a better game.”
Cobh Ramblers 1-0 (A) Derry City 3-2 AET (A) Waterford 3-1 (A) Sligo Rovers 1-0 (A)
Finn Harps 1-0 (H) Drogheda United 4-0 (H) Galway United 2-1 (A) Bohemians 2-0 (A)