*Newmarket Celtic goalkeeper Shane Cusack. Photograph: Oliver Fitzpatrick
A MOMENTOUS OCCASION for Clare soccer awaits this weekend with the hosting of the FAI Junior Cup semi-final with Newmarket Celtic hopeful the entire county will be in their corner.
Newmarket Celtic will use Frank Healy Park as their home setting this Sunday when they welcome Ballynanty Rovers across the border. The county grounds hosts the tie, on instruction from the FAI.
It’s five years since Celtic reached this stage of the competition, they lost out to Pike Rovers with Ennis duo Steven McGann and Paddy O’Malley lined out for the Limerick club. Within the Newmarket ranks, Shane Cusack, David McCarthy, Eoin Hayes and Stephen Kelly are the survivors while both Paddy Purcell and Eoin O’Brien who started in defence on that occasion have moved into management.
Up to four Celtic players are understood to be major doubts for the clash with Ballynanty, their fitness is going to be closely monitored up until Sunday’s kickoff time of 2pm.
Purcell confirmed that they are monitoring injuries and will be holding off on naming their starting eleven as a result.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, the county’s Oscar Traynor winning captain outlined the test they are expecting from their Limerick opponents on Sunday. “We know their calibre, we’ve watched them a few times, we know a lot of their players from over the years, they are a good experienced team with young players coming through, they are playing in competitive league so we’re under no illusions as to the task we’re facing this weekend”.
Balla have the final of the FAI Junior Cip on three previous occasions, losing to Whitehall Rangers (1976), St Francis (1982) and St Michael’s (2014). Managed by Dave Dunphy, they advanced to the semi-finals this season after defeating Killarney Celtic on penalties (5-4).
Embracing the occasion is key according to Purcell. “We’re hoping that people come out and support us and Clare soccer, it’s home advantage in terms of being in the county, we play in Frank Healy Park a few times a season all going well, what you want is a good support for us and the group and a lot of supporters to make it a good occasion to represent the county in terms of playing in an FAI semi-final. We’d be hoping for an atmosphere similar to the quarter-final, people showing up to support us is what makes people want to play the game”.
