FAI Cup clash for top two in league

Dublin's two big championship contenders were last night drawn to play each other in the quarter-finals of the Harp Lager FAI Cup.

Holders Shelbourne will make the short journey across Dublin to Richmond Park for the big match of the third round, a tie which pits first in the National League against second, and will result in one of the two favourites for this year's trophy biting the dust before the semi-final stage.

The game will be a rerun of the 1996 final which Damien Richardson's Shelbourne side won 2-1 at Dalymount in a replay, but there is little to separate them on form this season with both teams winning at the opponent's ground, Shelbourne by three goals to two at Richmond Park in September and St Patrick's Athletic 2-0 in December's return fixture.

The tie, which is likely to played on Friday, March 6th, will be a major draw for the Inchicore club which is currently the best supported club in the league. It also presents St Patrick's, who are chasing their first Cup success since 1961, to eliminate their main rivals from the competition.

Shelbourne, however, have come to dominate the competition in recent years, with three wins from four final appearances over the past five years. If any team can be confident about their own ability to come away from such a tough encounter with a victory, it is them.

While the Dublin derby will undoubtedly be the biggest match of the round, it is by no means the only attractive tie thrown up by an intriguing quarter-final draw. Sligo Rovers must wait until after Tuesday night's replay between Derry City and Cork City at the Brandywell to discover who they must face for a place in the last four. The first division is guaranteed at least one representation at the semi-final stage with Athlone Town being rewarded for their conquest of Shamrock Rovers on Saturday night with a home tie against Longford Town.

The fourth tie of the round will take a little bit longer to sort itself out with the winners of both of Wednesday night's replays now scheduled to come up against each other.

Dublin side's UCD and Home Farm Everton will battle it out at Whitehall that evening to decide who shall be at home to the winners of the Galway United-Finn Harps City game. Whatever happens in those games, it now seems distinctly possible that, with so many of the bigger clubs lined up against each other next time around, one of the country's less prominent clubs could find themselves playing in a cup final.