Finn Harps go into this afternoon’s FAI National U19 Elite quarter-final in Bishopstown (1.00pm) with a number of excellent performances in recent weeks but they will need to be at their very best to knockout the Leesiders according to manager Joe Boyle.
“Cork are in a rich vain of form with an excellent recent UEFA Youth League away draw to HJK Helsinki. They play the return leg at home on 19th of October. They have also secured the Enda McGill U19 Cup with a 2-0 victory over St Pats last month” said Boyle who is under no illusions about the scale of the challenge that is ahead of the visitors who traveled south yesterday.
The Harps boss will look to the experience gained throughout the season and the team’s positive approach as strengths that he hopes will turnover the Munster side.
“We will require big performances from our back-four and goalkeeper to keep things tight. At the other end I will be looking to Declan Sharkey and Gareth Doherty to create the chances” Boyle said.
This afternoon’s match is a repeat of last year’s quarter-final where Cork produced a scintillating second half performance to win the tie comfortably.
Harps have retained all of the squad from last year apart from Milford man Darragh Black. He has been replaced by the exciting winger Alex Carolan.
“Our U19’s have developed well over the course of the season and a large number of the players are training weekly with the first team squad. BJ Banda and Mark Coyle have seen first team action this month and were in the subs last night against Bray along with one of our U19 keepers Tommy Lee McCarron” Boyle said.
The manager has confirmed that both Simon McGlynn and Luke Nelis will all miss today’s match through injury while Jeaic McKelvey is in Dublin with the Ulster team for the FAIS Schools Inter-provincials.
A massive thanks to McGettigan’s for their support with logistics for this game.
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