Updated at 12.37
FOR AN AMATEUR team, Bluebell United have very high standards.
After all, without a certain amount of drive mixed with talent, Andy Noonan’s men would not be playing against Shamrock Rovers tonight in the FAI Cup quarter-finals.
While they may be at a lower level than League of Ireland sides, the Bell have proven they can hold their own against these teams in the recent past.
Last April, they were only narrowly beaten 1-0 by St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park in the EA Sports Cup.
In the FAI Cup this year, after convincingly overcoming Sheriff YC 3-0 in the first round, they subsequently defeated First Division outfit Cabinteely 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals and set up tonight’s crunch tie with Shamrock Rovers.
Striker Shane Stritch, who scored the winner at Stradbrook in the last round, says his side have a “great chance” to pull off another upset at Tallaght Stadium this evening.
The Leinster Senior League outfit are missing a few players for tonight’s game, however, including ex-Ireland international Keith Fahey, after the former Birmingham City and St Pat’s midfielder was sent off in the last round.
The 28-year-old forward acknowledges that the suspended Fahey, who only joined Bluebell recently, will be a big loss this evening.
“He’s unbelievable, to be fair,” Stritch tells The42. “The experience he brings to the dressing room is enough, even if he’s not playing for us.
When he came up first, I thought he was a great player, but three weeks in, you can see the difference in quality. And I don’t think he’s played in about two years (before joining Bluebell), so he’s only going to get better as the season goes on.”
34-year-old Fahey is enjoying his second spell at the club, having also played with them for a brief period in 2003, after leaving Aston Villa.
In an interview with The42 last March, Fahey spoke of how injury problems played a big part in ending his career as a professional footballer, but Stritch says his team-mate’s body is holding up well and being carefully managed at the moment.
He’s trying to keep off playing on the likes of the astro and I don’t think he fancies playing two games a week, but when we do have him on the field, he’s been immense for us.
“He makes it look easy. He strolls around the pitch, but when he gets the ball, he’ll turn three players with one touch. That’s the difference and that’s the level he’s at.
We just need to keep him fit and hopefully, we’ll win some silverware this year with him in the squad.”
However, Fahey is not the only notable player within Bluebell’s ranks. They have a number of ex-League of Ireland footballers in their team, including Tony Griffiths, Jordan Keegan and David Scully.
Dean Ebbe, meanwhile, has just returned from a stint at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who he only joined last January.
The 23-year-old was brought to the Scottish side by ex-Shelbourne striker Richie Foran, though the young forward left after new manager John Robertson opted not to renew his contract.
Stritch says that Ebbe is one player in particular who can have a big influence in Tallaght tonight.
He’s exceptional. He makes it look easy and I think it is easy for him. Even playing against League of Ireland opposition, he glides with the ball. I think he could easily play English or Scottish football. But a club has to come in and take him… Maybe in January someone will come in for him.”
The Templeogue native says that tonight’s match is “probably the biggest game in Bluebell’s history”.
In contrast with Rovers, who are coming towards the end of their Premier Division campaign, Bluebell are only starting the Leinster Senior League season. They lost their opening game to St. Patrick’s CY, before winning two subsequent matches against Newbridge Town and Firhouse Clover.
When the draw for the FAI Cup quarter-finals was originally made, Bluebell were scheduled to play Rovers on their home pitch, which is located on the Naas Road directly opposite The Red Cow.
However, both clubs agreed to switch the fixture to Tallaght Stadium, and Stritch admits this move lessens his side’s chances of victory.
If we had brought Shamrock Rovers down to the Red Cow, where we play, I believe it would have been a bigger test for them,” he says. “We’ve a tight pitch down there, the surface isn’t great, and I don’t think Shamrock Rovers would have fancied coming down there. Them having home advantage is massive.”
The striker adds that Bluebell fully intend to enjoy the occasion, regardless of the outcome.
We picked up a cheque for €2000 from the Irish Daily Mail yesterday for being the last amateur side in the competition, so we’ll be all going back to the bar after the game, whether we win or lose, and we’ll have a good night.
“It’s a great day out for the club, so we’ll make the most of it.”
And while Rovers are currently playing at a higher level than Bluebell, Stritch insists there will not be a huge gap in quality between the sides.
The Leinster Senior League team may only train twice a week, but the sizeable contingent of ex-pros in the squad always ensure the intensity never drops.
I don’t think there’s much (difference) in the standard — don’t get me wrong, (Rovers are) a bit more physical and fit (than us). But it’s like a derby on the day. Cup games are not like league games, where you know where you’re going and you know what to expect. When you’re playing in a cup game, it’s 50:50, and I don’t think it matters what team is playing.”
Stritch, who works as a sales rep when he’s not playing football, lined out for St Patrick’s Athletic as a youngster — the club he grew up supporting. However, he ultimately became disillusioned with life at Richmond Park.
I lost a bit of interest, it was too much,” he explains. “It’s like when somebody comes back from England, they get fed up and homesick. I just got fed up playing football. I took a year out.
“But I’m playing for Bluebell now and I’m loving every second of it. I love going training and I love match days, so that’s what it’s all about.
You can play for any League of Ireland team, but if you’re not enjoying it, there’s no point. It’s a massive commitment — fair play to the lads that do it and do well out of it.”
The Dubliner has spent the last six years at Bluebell, his local side, although he missed a portion of one season to go travelling in Australia.
Nevertheless, by January 2015, he was back in Ireland, returning to the Bluebell team for the second half of the season and helping them win the Leinster Senior League title for the first time in 28 years.
They repeated the feat in the 2015-16 campaign, claiming the trophy for the sixth time overall — only Shelbourne and Bohemians, back in the days when they were part of the league, have won it more often.
Stritch and co suffered heartbreak at the end of last season, however, as they lost the title to St Mochta’s on the final day in the cruelest of circumstances.
“We won the league two years on the bounce and then last year, we were denied by one goal on goal difference to make it a treble,” he recalls. “That’s never been done in the Leinster Senior League, so that would have been a massive achievement. To lose it with one goal difference was a bit of a kick in the teeth.
How close can you come? A fucking goal! We both played on the Friday evening and both dugouts were like: ‘We need a goal.’ We went up and we were happy, but then we heard they scored, so it was bad alright. But we’ll bounce back stronger this season.”
For now, however, Stritch’s attentions are focused firmly on the cup.
“We’re only three games away from Europe, so that’s one way to look at it,” he laughs
But we’re just taking each game as it comes, we just have to beat whoever’s in front of us — that’s the way we’re looking at it and we’re just enjoying it.
“It’s great to be able to play in these big games with Bluebell United and there’ll be more to come. This won’t be the end of us, I think we’ll only get stronger and attract better players. It’s only the start.”
FAI Cup quarter-finals (all games kick off at 7.45pm on Friday unless stated otherwise):
- Shamrock Rovers v Bluebell United
- Galway United v Limerick
- Dundalk v Drogheda United
- Longford Town v Cork City (Saturday 7.30pm)
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