Drogheda will be ready for early Linfield pressure

Setanta Cup Final/Linfield v Drogheda United:Having last week dismissed his side's critics from south of the Border as "hallions" (go on, see how good your dictionary is), Linfield manager David Jeffrey was back in more respectful mood these past few days as he contemplated this afternoon's clash with Drogheda United in the Setanta Sports Cup final.

This year's competition has provided fairly conclusive evidence regarding which jurisdiction boasts the stronger league. But it remains very hard to call who will emerge this evening with the right to claim they are the island's best team. So the two sides meet at Windsor Park with the Northerners aiming to complete what would be a memorable treble and their opponents trying to rack up the first instalment of something similar.

Jeffrey, like his opposite number Paul Doolin, is diplomatic, describing Drogheda as "very impressive" and readily conceding this, his side's 57th outing of the season, will be among their most difficult.

Still, there is a feeling within the Linfield camp that, having had a rare rest between games, they can repeat their success of two years ago by beating the defending champions.

On that occasion Linfield surprised Shelbourne with the intensity of their approach early on and it is a little difficult to imagine Doolin's men being caught similarly off guard today.

The Belfast outfit, though, should be capable of a much better performance than the one they turned in against Cork City in the semi-final or Dungannon in last Saturday's Irish Cup final.

Jeffrey's men looked jaded in those games but still showed enough character to see them through.

"You could see our players were dead on their feet last week," he concedes. " . . . they are well rested now after their first midweek break in ages and we have asked them for one last push to win this game, recapture the trophy and complete what would be a fabulous triple crown."

Aside from long-term absentees like Oran Kearney and Kris Lindsay, Paul McAreavey is the home side's only doubt for this afternoon, the central midfielder struggling to shake off a viral infection as well as wisdom-tooth problems. If he recovers in time, Jeffrey could field an unchanged side from the IFA Cup final, but Stuart Gault is also available to start having come on and done well last week.

Doolin, who rested his entire first-team squad for the League Cup defeat by Shamrock Rovers, has Stephen Bradley, Paul Keegan and Brian Shelley fit again but Ollie Cahill is a slight doubt with a sore ankle.

"We still have five players out long term but I've always said once we had 18 fit bodies available then I wouldn't have a problem and we should have that tomorrow," says the United manager. "The rumpus over the Cork City comments may have been a bit of a diversion up there but I don't think it will affect the game at all . . . It might just come down to who wants it more."

LINFIELD(probable): Mannus; Ervin, Bailie, Murphy, McShane; Dickson, Mulgrew, Gault, O'Kane; Thompson, Ferguson.

DROGHEDA UNITED(probable): Vilmunen; Shelley, Gartland, Gray, Webb; Robinson, Byrne, Bradley, Cahill; O'Brien, Zayed.