D&D: Can Bosco's upset Park Bar to claim Cup?

Don Bosco’s will have to upset the form book once more if they are to make up for their Terry Kelly Cup final heartbreak and defeat favourites Park Bar in Sunday’s 2016 City Cabs Cup final at Brandywell Stadium

However Caoimhinn Bonner’s side have already shown they are capable of winning against the odds in this competition when they accounted for cup holders, Top of the Hill Celtic, in a thrilling quarter-final victory.

In last Sunday’s semi final, Bosco’s put eight goals past a Culmore side who were forced to play most of the game without their keeper, Chris Barnaby, after he was sent off but Bonner knows it will be a different ball game this week against one of the best teams in junior football.

Keeper Gareth Muldoon, Conor Brown, Calvin McCallion and veteran, Paul Moore, will be key men for Bosco’s in this final and if they can start well and get a foothold in the game, they are capable of springing a surprise.

That said, Park Bar start as clear favourites with Colm Cassidy hoping to add this trophy to their 2016 Premier Division title success.

Yet the league champions did not have it all their own way in reaching the final. Park were pushed by both Brandywell Harps and Trojans after getting a bye in the first round but they have a side capable of scoring goals from a variety of positions.

Key men for Park will be Sean McCarron, Joe McCready and skipper Darren McCready, all of whom bring experience and match-winning potential as Park seek to go one better than last season when they lost out on penalties in the final to Top of the Hill Celtic after extra time failed to separate the sides at 1-1.

The task facing Bosco’s can be seen from Park’s emphatic league victory when they put six past the young Bosco’s outfit but Bonner’s will have his player better prepared for this contest.

Park are firm favourites but there should be goals.