Bring on the reds

Bring on the reds

27 February 2013

KILMORE Rec are intent on upsetting the odds when they take on Irish League juggernauts Cliftonville in the quarter-finals of the Irish Cup on Saturday.

The sides have met on two previous occasions in competitions — and Kilmore have yet to taste victory.

The Reds won 1-0 at Robert Adams Park in 1992 and four years later prevailed by a 3-0 margin.

Rec manager Gary Kennedy will be making an emotional return to Solitude along with captain Mark Holland and Peter Telford. All three are former Cliftonville players. Lining up in the Cliftonville ranks will be Holland’s brother Barry.

Kennedy knows the Cliftonville players and management team inside out and although he has the greatest respect for his counterpart Tommy Breslin, he intends unleashing his dogs of war come 3pm on Saturday.

He is mindful of the 11-0 hammering suffered by his team three years ago by Linfield in the County Antrim Shield and doesn’t intend letting that happen again.

“That was my worst 90 minutes in football. I have learned a lot from that experience and will put that to good use against Cliftonville and will select a team that I believe can give them some problems,” he said.

“We will try and keep Cliftonville quiet for the first 20 minute or so and let the game develop from there, but we must stop the supply chain into Joe Gormley and Liam Boyce if we are to get a result.

“I believe that if we can hold our own in midfield then we have a great chance of causing an upset, but that is easier said than done.

“We have good players all over the park and my biggest headache will be picking a starting XI. I have picked three different sides already and it is still only Monday, “ he joked.

Kennedy faces an agonising wait over the fitness of four key players. Mark Holland, Johnny Cheevers, Niall McCarthy and Eoin Curran are all on the treatment table and a decision on their fitness will be left to as late as possible on Saturday before a starting X1 is announced.

Michael McKenna should start between the sticks for Kilmore, he has been central to Kilmore’s success story this season after joining the club from Killyleagh YC at the start of the season.

He will be fronted by any four from Kennedy himself, Stephen Douglas, Sean Bell, Mark Holland, Johnny Cheevers, Mark Miskelly, Jack Larkin and Eoin Curran.

Karl Lewis, Andrew Baggley, Niall McCarthy, Sean Bell, Eoin Curran, Peter Telford, Matty Hardy and Andy Telford will battle for four midfield positions with Philip Traynor likely to be joined by either of the Telford brothers up front.