Mill Celtic set for battle with Dublin queenpins

Mill Celtic women are set to do battle with Dublin queenpins, Killester-Donnycarney in the Ladies LFA Junior Cup semi-final on Sunday. Having beaten old rivals, Newpark in the last round, they now host the Dublin side in Ballitore. Manager Barry Mackey knows exactly what’s facing them. 

Speaking to the Carlow Soccer Podcast this week, Mackey explained that it’s going to be a stiff challenge. 

“At the start of the year you’d be hoping to win your own league and get a run in a cup or whatever, and then a Leinster, you take it as it comes and you try do the best you can in it, and we’re after getting a few home draws in it which is all you can ask for whoever you’re playing. We know we’re up against it on Sunday, up against one of the best teams not only in Leinster but maybe in the country but sure we’re in bonus territory now so anything for us now is a bonus. 

"We’re looking forward to Sunday though, we played on last week so you don’t have a whole lot of time to think about it. No matter what we do on Sunday, nobody will give us a hope, playing one of the best sides in Leinster; they’ll have aspirations of not just winning this but the FAI Junior Cup too, so we’re in bonus territory so we’ll go out and give it a lash. 

"We’ll be proud of the girls no matter what the result is on Sunday.” 

They’ve had an abundance of home games so far and have a home draw again against Killester-Donnycarney. 

“We had three home games. No matter who you get, you just want to get a home draw. We’ve a home game again on Sunday so we’ll take that every day of the week. The last couple of years we’ve been drawn away and going away is always that bit tougher, but luck seems to be on our side so far. They played us in Ballitore a few years ago and gave us a bit of a trimming. No they probably won’t [fancy the trip to Ballitore], I’d say they’ve played on better pitches, they’d be used to playing on astroturf, so we’ll try and use everything we can to our advantage. That’ll be the plan, to make it as uncomfortable as possible for them.” 

Vale won a Leinster title last season and Mackey says it does give them faith that they can pull off a similar feat. 

“Ah yeah, when you see a team like that it does give you hope. We won the Shield three years ago ourselves, and then the following year, we ran Terenure close, lost 3-2. When you see a team in your own division holding their own like that, it would give you a bit of confidence.” 

Barry Mackey was speaking to The Carlow Soccer Podcast and the full interview can be found here