Westport United ready for Junior Cup thriller in United Park

WESTPORT United folk have been talking about little else but the FAI Junior Cup for weeks.

Then again, they’ve hardly stopped talking about it.

Many the day they reminisce about 2005, when they journeyed home victorious from Kilkenny with the most prestigious trophy in junior soccer.

But there are still those who remember decades before then, when the oldest club in Mayo made it as far as the semi-finals on a few occasions.

The men who currently carry the black and red torch are no less enthusiastic than their forefathers.

They’ll admit they didn’t enjoy the Super League campaign they would have liked.

But the FAI Junior Cup will always be a different kettle of fish.

“They were always there thereabouts and then wining it created the whole thing of ‘this is doable’,” Westport United and Mayo captain Gary Cunningham tells The Mayo News.

“We’re the only team this side of the Shannon apart from Sligo Rovers who have won it. There’s that history and the love of the away trips. Every supporter that used to come with us loved them, absolutely loved them.”

United have arrived at Round 4 of FAI Junior Cup thanks to a 2-0 third-round win over Cartron United from Sligo, a game that they could have – and should have – won by more.

Tomorrow they’ll welcome Dublin-based Galty Celtic to United Park.

The Drimnagh outfit have pulled back from the brink of folding to place fourth in last year’s AUL.

They are currently right in the thick of their own league campaign with four wins from four and currently carry no injury worries.

With former League of Ireland player Kenneth Carr and several hungry young hearts in their ranks, the Dubs looks set to ask some serious questions of Kevin McNamara’s men.

Thankfully, McNamara has been prepping his charges for this day from day one.

“He has put a big emphasis on getting a run in the cups just to keep us ticking over,” defender Cillian McGlade tells The Mayo News.

“Last year we went into Salthill just after Christmas when we were two months off and just so far off the pace and they beat us well.”

The old canard of summer leagues disadvantaging Mayo teams during the winter cups doesn’t apply for Westport United either.

Cunningham, McGlade and four of their teammates are all apart of Joe Kelly’s Mayo team for the rebirthed Oscar Traynor Cup.

Between that competition and the Connacht Cup, half the United starting eleven have barely missed a weekend of football since the start of September.

There were very few signs of fatigue on Cunningham, McGlade, and Fionn O’Hora when they threw them themselves down on the sofa of Westport’s Plaza Hotel last Wednesday evening.

“I think we play an enjoyable style of football to watch. It’s not the stuff that you’d pull you hair out watching,” says O’Hora.

“With a bigger crowd and a bigger atmosphere, it will be a better experience watching the game as well.”

One of many great white hopes to emerge from United Park in recent years, O’Hora is just one of several young United stars who’ve made names for themselves at Under-18, Under-21 and Super League level in recent times.

What can’t be understated is the bounce they’ve gotten from clinching Quigley Cup and the Under-18 league – a team that has already produced Super League panellists in Cillian McGing, Dan O’Malley and Jack Dawson.

“It was needed, that injection. Even at the start of the season it was slow to get together,” says McGing, who can still taste the FAI Junior Cup wins over Dublin’s Oliver and Limerick’s Annacotty in recent years.

“They are some of the best days I’ve had playing football,” he says.

“After a knock-out win like that, we beat the favourites down in Westport, last minute goal … for me they are the best things, they are the most exciting days.”

FIXTURE

FAI Junior Cup, Round 4

Westport Utd v Galty Celtic

United Park

Sunday, November 26, 2pm