Town face high-flying Roesiders in cup clash

FIVEMILETOWN United manager Chris McDowell doesn’t need telling that his team will be up against it when they face Limavady United in the third round of the McComb Coach Travel Intemediate Cup on Saturday.

United are flying high at the top of the Premier Intermediate League and seemingly on course for a return to the Playr-fit Championship.

The Roesiders’ teamsheet also makes for impressive reading. It includes former Ballymena United and Dungannon Swifts striker Joe McCready, former Coleraine player Ian Parkhill, ex-Dergview players Graham Crown and Alex Pomeroy, recent signing Andrew Whiteside and the highly-rated Lewis Tosh.

McDowell admits it’ll go down as one of the great shocks if his team can upset Paul Owens’ in-form outfit in their own back yard.

“We haven’t even got home advantage,” joked Town’s joint-manager.

“Limavady are not top of the PIL for nothing, and a very competitive PIL at that.

“But look we’ll go and give it a go and see what happens. At the end of the day this is the kind of draw you want and it’s an opportunity to see how we measure up and where we are at.

“Limavady do have a busy schedule of games and maybe that’s a factor that might work in our favour. They played the PSNI in midweek, they play the North West Senior Cup Final on Tuesday and then have Rathfriland the following weekend.”

Fivemiletown warmed up for the third round tie with a scoreless draw against Lurgan Town in a league game on Saturday.

The visitors had keeper Tyler Boyce sent off after just six minutes, but, despite dominating the game and having 20 plus shots on goal, United couldn’t conjure up a winner.

“In a roundabout way it was probably a good lesson for us,” added McDowell.

“They did to us what we need to try and do against Limavady – set up with a good shape, keep things tight, frustrate the life out of them and try and hit them on the counter attack.”

Fivemiletown began their bid for cup glory by defeating Shamrock 4-3 on penalties in the first round after the sides played out a 2-2 draw at the Valley Stadium.

In round two McDowell’s charges recorded a straightforward 3-0 victory over AFC Craigavon to set up their daunting trip to Limavady.