*Conor Hehir. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
AVENUE UTD will be without full-back Conor Hehir for Sunday’s Munster Junior Cup semi-final.
David Russell’s side make the trip to Tipperary this Sunday to take on St Michael’s AFC in the penultimate stage of the competition. The tie takes place in Cahir Park at 3pm.
Left-back Conor Hehir will miss Sunday’s semi-final. A nasty tackle on the data analyst during their Ennis derby with Lifford FC has left him with a leg injury that is likely to keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Since making the step-up from the club’s B team, the two-time Clare Cup winner has been a first choice starter in Avenue’s defence. His absence is likely to result in both Cullen McCabe and Jamie Roche filling the full-back berths this weekend with the spine of the defence to be anchored by the reliable duo of Conor Mullen and Dylan Casey.
Steven McGann’s addition to Avenue has really strengthened their side, this evident by his man of the match display in their dominant quarter-final win over Togher Celtic. Vice captain Elias Kunz will also be crucial to their chances of success with Nnabuike Nneji, Mark Roche and Mossy Hehir pivotal cogs in their wheel. The side is captained by Ronan Kerin who will help to offer some physicality to their attack.
St Michael’s have won the Munster Junior Cup on eight occasions, the most recent win was in 2016. The Tipp Town team were defeated in last year’s FAI Junior Cup final by Newmarket Celtic, they have won the national competition on two occasions and remain in the hunt for this year’s title, they face Waterford side Villa FC in the quarter-finals.
Over the weekend, they recorded a 9-0 win over Wilderness Rovers in the Clonmel Credit Union Premier League. Winger Jimmy Carr is a player with experience of representing his country, their team has been strengthened by the signing of defender Sean Guerin from Treaty Utd. Paul Breen and Russell Quirke are among their survivors from the 2016 FAI Junior Cup winning side.
