Sport

Waterford face tough run-up to Cup final

Nothing like the prospect of playing in a cup final to keep you on your toes

Paul Buttner
Fri Oct 15 2004 - 01:00

Nothing like the prospect of playing in a cup final to keep you on your toes. None more so than Waterford United striker Vinny Sullivan, who is catching up on lost time following a three-month lay-off with injury.

Sullivan made his league return on Monday night with the first goal in a 3-1 win at Dublin City. The former Celtic trainee hopes to keep his place on the right side of midfield for tonight's Munster derby with Cork City at the RSC.

Then there is another important league clash at home to Bohemians on Monday night to come, before attention focuses fully on Longford Town and the FAI Cup final on Sunday week.

"It's taken me a long time to get back, so it was great to play the full 90 minutes and nice to score," said Sullivan of his return to action. "It's good timing. Nobody wants to be injured with a cup final coming up. I tore a muscle in my stomach and it just needed a lot of rest. It had been at me and I kept playing with it and it got worse and worse."

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Player-manager Alan Reynolds remains without defender Pat Purcell (foot), but David Breen, Mark Clifford and Alan Carey come back into contention as Waterford try to extend their unbeaten run of six games.

Cork manager Pat Dolan, whose side is also in form having won their last three games without conceding a goal, may keep faith with the team that beat Longford 2-0 on Monday night, even though regular left-back Danny Murphy is available again following suspension.

Shelbourne manager Pat Fenlon says his players are professional enough not to let any bad blood from Monday's meeting with Bohemians at Dalymount Park carry over into tonight's televised repeat clash between the top two at Tolka Park.

Stephen Ward, the young Bohemians striker, suffered ankle ligament damage in a challenge with Shelbourne substitute Glen Fitzpatrick while Eamonn Collins, the Shelbourne assistant manager, was spat at by an alleged Bohemians fan when leaving the pitch at the finish.

While Fenlon has the same squad available to him, Bohemians are without Ward, while Glen Crowe, Bobby Ryan and Colin Hawkins all picked up knocks on Monday and will require fitness tests.

TONIGHT (7.45 unless stated)

Premier Division: St Patrick's Athletic v Dublin City, Shelbourne v Bohemians, Waterford United v Cork City (7.30). First Division: Bray Wanderers v Athlone Town, Galway United v Finn Harps (7.30).