Students get the short straw

While UCD were handed a trip to Dalymount Park for the only all-Premier Division clash when the draw was made last night for the third round of the Harp Lager FAI Cup, a couple of the favourites to lift the trophy were handed what should prove to be more manageable routes to the last eight of this year's competition.

Winners in 1998, Cork City will have to beat Pat Byrne's promotion-chasing Kilkenny City if they want to move a step closer to this season's decider. Shelbourne, who made it to the final five times in the last decade and emerged with the silverware on three occasions, were drawn away from home to Leinster League side Bangor Celtic.

It was difficult to tell which manager was happiest. Bangor's Paul Ennis clearly viewed the Shelbourne match as an opportunity to add an ever bigger scalp to that of Drogheda United, whom his side beat in the last round.

"It's worked out brilliantly," said Ennis. "Of course I would have preferred Bohemians from a personal point of view, but we came here hoping for Bohemians, Shelbourne or Cork, and to get one of them and get drawn at home, too, is fantastic for everybody at the club."

Where precisely the game will be played is another matter, however. Bangor's designated ground for the competition is the Iveagh Grounds, but within minutes of the draw finishing last night Shelbourne officials had made an approach about switching the game to Tolka Park, a swap which could be confirmed over the next couple of days.

Shelbourne manager Dermot Keely didn't sound like a man who cared particularly where the match is played, remarking: "I'll go and have a look at them and we'll prepare for it in the same way that we'd prepare for any other important game. We'll give them a lot of respect, you'd have to after what they did to Drogheda. But you still have to say that it's a good draw."

While Bangor landed one big fish, the winners of the match between Fairview Rangers and College Corinthians (the venue for which will be decided today) will be rewarded with a third round visit by current holders Bray Wanderers or Derry City.

And with the draw throwing up another couple of all non-league ties, at least two less familiar names will be going into the hat for the quarter-finals next month. Bluebell United, who beat Sligo Rovers last time out, will go to either Rockmount in Cork or Clonmel in the first weekend in February, while St Mochta's face a tough game at Swilly Rovers.

After putting out Waterford United in a replay last week, Longford Town have been handed a home tie with the winners of this evening's match between Finn Harps and Home Farm Fingal, while the draw will be completed by the meeting of Athlone Town and Galway United at St Mel's Park.

"To go to the league champions in the last round and get the result we got was just incredible," said Galway United manager Don O'Riordan, "and I'm sure after it we'll be bringing a lot of people along with us to Athlone. It's a tough draw, but our away form lately has been fantastic so we'll go there full of confidence."