Ivan Hurley previews a massive game in the short history of Kerry FC as they welcome Irish football royalty, Bohemian FC in the Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup Third Round clash in Mounthawk Park on Sunday afternoon…
It’s the game the majority of the Kerry faithful have been counting down to since the draw was made a number of weeks ago.
The famous Bohemians are the visitors to Mounthawk Park tomorrow. Tickets are like gold dust in the Kingdom, with the sold-out signs popping up after a matter of hours of first going on sale.
So with the Rose of Tralee festival in full swing in the town since Friday, the festival atmosphere is sure to make its way north of Denny Street to Mounthawk Park for the blockbuster occasion.
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Having only faced one side from the top division in the past, the opportunity to welcome one of the country’s stand-out clubs is sure to be a memorable occasion for the Kerry faithful.
But progressing to the Quarter Final of the cup is the priority and a historic afternoon could quickly turn into a historic day in the club’s history should the underdog advance to the last eight.
Without a doubt, it would be a monumental undertaking for Kerry to dump last year’s finalists out of the competition, but anything is possible in Mounthawk Park.
Despite a disappointing defeat to Cobh in Tralee last time out, Kerry’s home form has been impressive in 2024, going 5 unbeaten in Mounthawk since early May.
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Bohemians come into the game after a disappointing 3-2 defeat in Dalymount to Waterford FC, considering the Dubliners were 2-0 up in the game.
Bohemians needed a penalty to knock out Tallaght-based Shamrock Rovers out of the cup in the 2ndRound. Kerry were impressive in their 2-0 dispatching of Cobh Ramblers in St Colman’s Park back in July.
So the scene is set for a carnival clash in the home of Kerry football tomorrow afternoon, if you have a ticket hold it close to your chest and if not, make sure your calendar is kept clear from 4-6 pm on Sunday.
If you’re lucky enough to have a ticket, we are looking forward to welcoming you to Mounthawk Park. As ever, the game will be broadcast live on LOITV, with a pre-game show getting underway from 15:40 on Sunday afternoon. A full 3 camera set-up will be in place for the fixture.
The game will also be live on Radio Kerry’s Weekend Sport programme with full live and uninterrupted commentary from the gantry.
This is just the second time Kerry FC will face a team from the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division.
The Kingdom faced Drogheda United at this stage of the competition 12 months ago. Kerry went down by a single goal to nil on that occasion, hitting the crossbar on the way to a narrow defeat
Speaking to the media earlier this week, James Sugrue said they are waiting on an update regarding to new signing Oran Crowe’s availability.
Oran required several stitches after getting an elbow to the face in Friday’s defeat to Cobh Ramblers. Antonio Tuta has returned to training following an ankle injury picked up in the win against Cobh in the 2nd Round last month.
Valerii Dolia remains sidelined long term. New signing Cian Barrett is available for the game, he was on the bench for Shamrock Rovers in the defeat to Bohemians but as he didn’t make it onto the field, he isn’t cup-tied for this one
“Look we are just taking it as another game for us,” said James Sugrue. “Obviously, it’s knockout so it can all depend on the day. It’s very exciting, it’s great for the town, great for the county of Kerry and great for the club and supporters, but we must keep our heads down and work no differently from any other game.
“The players need to relish the occasion, go out and don’t let it pass them by. These are the games everyone wants to be involved in, in front of big crowds, but you have to turn up on the day, get the job done and move on to the quarter-final.”
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