McGeough remains wary

Everton FC v Waterford Utd, Turner's Cross, 7.30: Waterford will be the first league club to hit the road in this season's Carlsberg sponsored FAI Cup this evening when Jimmy McGeough's side take on Everton at Turner's Cross without captain John Frost who is being treated for a punctured lung.

The former youth international felt ill after Friday's defeat of Cork City and eventually took a taxi to his local hospital where he has been ever since. "It's serious enough," says McGeough, "because there is air getting out and they can't pinpoint where it is coming from but he did the right thing and at least he is getting looked after."

Frost's absence is a blow for the United boss who is still three weeks away from having Dave Mulcahy fit while Daryl Murphy is rated as doubtful due to a groin strain and David Breen has no more than a 50-50 chance of featuring because of a toe injury.

McGeough, though, is not complaining. His team beat this evening's opponents in the Munster Senior Cup a couple of months ago and he realises that there will be little sympathy for the Premier Division outfit if they fail to repeat the trick in Cork this evening.

"They're a fairly formidable side with a few experienced players," he says, "and this is always a tricky sort of situation, when you are going to play a non-league side."

Everton's Pat Browne, meanwhile, has problems of his own with the hosts having to cope without four first-team regulars due to holidays. Striker Keith O'Connor is a doubt through injury but there is better news when it comes to Aidan Murray and goalkeeper Denis Kavanagh, both of whom have shrugged off knocks to play.

"They are second in the Premier Division at the moment and flying," says Browne. "We're under no illusions what we will come up against, but it is the Cup and anything can happen."