A touch of the Blarney for Parkvilla

Parkvilla will have home advantage when they return to the FAI Senior Cup after a gap of more than a decade at the end of this month when they entertain Munster Senior League side Blarney Utd. The draw was made last night at FAI Headquarters and the Navan side will be looking at the prize of a place in the second round of the FAI Senior Cup and a place against the League of Ireland sides if they can negotiate the Cork men. The provisional date for the cup tie is Sunday 31st March at Claremont Stadiyn, Navan although that has yet to be confirmed. It is unlikely that Blarney will travel to Navan for a Friday night fixture due to to the distance involved in the trip from Cork to Navan. There were four byes and eight ties were drawn in the FAI Ford Senior Cup First Round to decide the 12 teams which go forward and join the 20 Airtricity League clubs in the draw for the Second Round. The 20 teams involved in the First Round are from the intermediate and junior ranks and will include 13 of the teams that reached the last 16 of the FAI Intermediate Cup and three of the teams who reach the semi-finals of the FAI Junior Cup. Because the quarter-finals of the FAI Junior Cup have not yet been played, and the draw will only take place on RTE Two's MNS programme next Monday night, the match numbers were placed in the draw. The eight teams left in the FAI Junior Cup are: Ballinasloe Town, Ballymun United, Carew Park, Kilbarrack United, Pearse Celtic, Pike Rovers, Sheriff YC and St Kevin's Boys. The draw was made by FAI President Paddy McCaul and former Airtricity League player Ollie Cahill who won an FAI Junior Cup medal with Clonmel Town and an FAI Senior medal with Cork City. The FAI Ford Senior Cup First draw is: Parkvilla v Blarney Utd Leixlip United v Winner QF2 FAI Junior Cup St. Patrick's CY v Winner QF3 FAI Junior Cup Glenville v Beggsboro Tolka Rovers v Bangor Celtic St. Mary's v Phoenix Everton v Winner QF1 FAI Junior Cup College Corinthians v Newbridge Town BYES Winner QF4 FAI Junior Cup, Bandon, Bluebell United, Avondale United Matches to be played week-ending Sunday, March 31.