Douglas Hall women's team gear up for huge FAI Cup clash

WHEN you reach the final four of the women's FAI Intermediate Cup, one of the benefits is that you qualify for a place in the women's FAI senior cup. 

Having the opportunity to play against a national league side is a dream for most amateur clubs and Douglas Hall are no different.

Douglas Hall are the only Cork side to have reached the final four in this year's FAI Intermediate Cup competition, and they now face Dublin side Terenure in what's expected to be a very competitive game. 

While they await this fixture, the draw for the senior cup was made and surprisingly enough Douglas Hall were drawn away to local women's national league side Cork City. 

A fixture that brought great excitement to all football enthusiasts in Cork.

I recently caught up with Douglas Hall manager Derek Scanlon and here he tells us about their busy season and the excitement of playing at Turners Cross.

"We've had a great year to date and the icing on the cake is for our girls to get the opportunity to play in Turner's Cross against Cork City," said Scanlon.

Playing in Turner's Cross will be a great occasion for his players, however it certainly won't be a daunting experience for many of them who have played with City's first team in the past. 

Nathalie O'Brien, Maggie Duncliffe, Ciara Desmond, Rebecca Walsh and Stacey Paul have all lined up with the club and are familiar with the style of football they play which makes for an exciting game but one in which Scanlon believes will be a difficult one.

"I've been to a few of the City games this year but my wife Sarah and daughter Caoimhe are regular attendees and I must say the city girls are great with their time. 

"I think Caoimhe has everything from jerseys and hats to Stanley mugs signed by the players. 

"They have an excellent squad and play an attractive game of football. We will have our work cut out for us.

"We will treat this game like any other game we play, and basically just head into the game as prepared as we can and give it our all. 

"There is no pressure on us and I hope the girls just enjoy the experience. 

"It is a great opportunity to play an FAI senior cup game locally and to have two local teams play one another adds to the occasion. 

"To play a local derby at this level is brilliant for the girls and we are really looking forward to it. When the draw was made there was a great buzz. 

"We were all hoping this fixture would happen and when it did, it brought a great hype around the club.

"We have a busy schedule over the next two months with local league and cup games, a Munster final against Waterford side Benfica and an intermediate cup semi final against Dublin side Terenure. 

"So, while, Cork City is a fixture people are talking about, we will just take one game at a game. 

"We had a poor performance last week in the local league only managing to beat a struggling Lakewood side 2-1 so we know we need to be better if we want to make a game of the bigger fixtures.

"It's been a few years since we reached this stage of the competition and while we failed to fulfil our senior cup fixture back then, I cannot see that happening this time round as everyone is looking forward to playing in Turner's Cross which will be a great experience. 

"Any team that reaches the last four of the intermediate cup will have something about them. We would be hoping to do our best for the Cork league firstly when we travel to Dublin to take on Terenure and then when we get the opportunity to play Cork City. 

"It's great to be involved in so many competitions at this part of the season.

"Having a great backroom team of Danny, Alfie, Finn, Noreen and Mary helps as well and I know they will be doing their best to get a big support out for us at Turner's Cross. 

"It will hopefully be a great occasion."