*Avenue Utd defender, Conor Hehir. Photograph: Natasha Barton
AVENUE UTD head into FAI Junior Cup action this weekend with a clean bill of health.
Clarinbridge hosts the tie of Avenue against Colga FC on Saturday with the last sixteen tie pencilled for a 2pm kick-off in Galway.
Colga FC defeated North End Utd in the previous round, the Wexford club knocked Avenue out of the competition at the quarter-final stage last year following a penalty shootout. Ben Lalor scored the decisive goal for the Galway men in that encounter.
David Russell’s Avenue secured their place in the sixth round with a comprehensive 8-0 win over St Mary’s AFC on a day when both Ronan Kerin and Mossy Hehir scored on the double while Mark Roche, Callum Barrett, Nneji Nnabuike and Elias Kunz also hit the net.
For Saturday’s clash, Russell has a full squad to call on. He and his management team have the choice of playing former Clare U20 gaelic football goalkeeper Tom O’Brien or new signing Luke Woodrow.
Over the Christmas break, Avenue and Colga played each other in a friendly but both sides were missing a host of regulars with Conor Mullan, Dylan Casey and Mark Roche among the absentees on that outing for the Roslevan based club.
This weekend they will be counting on the trio to make their presence known while the performances of Elias Kunz, Eoghan Thynne and Nneji Nnabuike will also be influential to proceedings.
