Mervue to throw caution to the wind

MANAGER Tom French says Mervue United will be throwing ‘caution to the wind’ when they face into a daunting challenge with reigning champions Sporting Fingal as overwhelming underdogs in round three of the FAI Cup tonight (7.45pm) at the Morton Stadium.

Travelling to high-flying Fingal, who defeated Galway United 2-0 last weekend, would be difficult for Mervue at the best of times but the city club have been hit with a series of injuries that will leave their defence particularly vulnerable at the North Dublin venue.

Martin Conneely, Dave Goldby, Eric Browne, Ollie Kehoe, Mark Ludden and David O’Dowd are all on the treatment table and ruled out of the knockout clash meaning French will have just three natural defenders available for selection and just one of the defensive foursome who started Mervue’s last two league fixtures.

Defenders Darren Young and Mike Elwood, have recovered from injury, and are available for selection this weekend while it is likely several of the club’s U20s squad will be drafted in as cover.

Striker Evan Connolly and Kenny Farrell are both being rested – although may feature at some stage – as French keeps one eye on Mervue’s upcoming league encounter with Cork City at Terryland Park on Monday (4pm).

The gulf in class on paper between the two clubs is enormous – there are 16 teams separating Mervue, who are second from bottom of Division One of the Airtricity League, and Fingal, who are motoring well in their first year in the top flight and are lying fourth in the Premiership.

But French insists anything can happen in cup matches and he will be instructing his charges, ala Jack Charlton, to ‘put ‘em under pressure’. “We have to set ourselves up to pressure them up the field. With a few defenders missing we cannot sit back and defend so we have to defend and close them down up the park and hope to nick a goal or two,” he said.

“There’s no pressure on us. We’ll be totally relaxed and will enjoy the match and you never know what can happen in the Cup.

Fingal have progressed really well in the last couple of seasons and they just keep getting better and they are holding their own up in the Premier Division and we are near the bottom of Division One. We have nothing to lose and we certainly won’t be holding back,” added French.