Quarter-final up for grabs as Cockhill gear up for big cup clash

Gavin Cullen believes that Cockhill Celtic are among the best intermediate teams and clubs in Ireland - but winning an FAI Intermediate Cup would cement that thought.

Cullen takes Cockhill to Dublin on Sunday to take on Liffey Wanderers of the Leinster Senior League, the 2017 Intermediate Cup winners.

The round of 16 tie at Ringsend Astro (2pm) offers the chance of a place in the quarter-finals of a competition that has eluded the Inishowen side.

The eight-in-a-row Ulster Senior League champions have long craved a lasting run in the Intermediate Cup.

“The Intermediate is the ultimate goal,” Cullen told Donegal Live. “It’s something that we’ve never won and it would be class to win it.

“As a group and as a club we are right up there with the best in the country. We want to win it to be able to say that we are.”

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Laurence Toland and Ronan ‘Newman’ Doherty remain out with long-term injuries and midfielder Jack Doherty is rated at 50-50 for this weekend.

“It’s going to be a test,” Cullen said. “We’re going to one of the top Leinster Senior League clubs.

“Liffey are a strong side with the usual scattering of ex-League of Ireland players and we know what we’re up against. These boys are no dozers. We’ll need to be right at the top of our game this week.

“Liffey are probably the highest-ranked team left in the competition. Still, it will take a good side to beat us.”

On Saturday, Cockhill had a routine win over Ardstraw in a quarter-final of the North West of Ulster Intermediate Cup. Oisin McMenamin (2), Jimmy Bradley, Oisin McColgan and Adam Duffy bagged the goals as Cockhill eased their way into the semi-finals.

Cullen said: “We came through it well. We scored five goals away from home and it gave us a lift. We won well - we had over 20 corner kicks and could have won by more. Some boys got on the scoresheet who hadn’t scored in a while so that was a positive too.

“We’re starting to look more solid and more like ourselves. We could still improve and play better, though.”

Sunday’s game sees Cockhill on the road again having been in Cork for a 6-0 win over Lakewood Athletic in the last round.

Cockhill are familiar travellers in Cup competition these days.

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“We’ve been in eight Cup draws this season and we’ve only had one home tie,” Cullen noted. “It’s mad. The draws are so important in Cups. They can be the difference. They’re so draw orientated so you need the bit of luck.”

Cullen’s assistant, Gerard McLaughlin, has been at the club for nine seasons now, eight as a player and this season as part of the back room staff. Only once in that time have Cockhill been pulled out at home - for a tie against fellow USL side Letterkenny Rovers.

“We got drawn against Swords and Kilnamanagh but that was the season ‘Jazza’ was away,” Cullen said.

“You just take it season-by-season. We should have done better in the Intermediate Cup at different times. We have thrown away results that we should have got.

“We had St Mochta’s a couple of times and should have turned them over. Kilnamanagh took us to a replay and beat us down there. It’s fine margins and fine lines.”