Derry City drawn at home to Tolka Rovers in FAI Cup second round
SIX-TIMES FAI Cup winners Derry City has been drawn at home to Leinster Senior League outfit Tolka Rovers in the Club Orange FAI Cup second round.
League of Ireland clubs entered the FAI Cup in Wednesday's second round draw, joining 12 non-league clubs and Dublin side Tolka Rovers were handed a plum tie against the Candy Stripes at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium next month.
At a live event in the National Sports Campus, former Bohemians captain Tony O’Connor (who won the FAI Cup in 2001) joined FAI President Paul Cooke to help with the draw.
With the Brandywell club struggling for form in the Premier Division with a seven match winless run heading into the midseason break, Tiernan Lynch will be hoping for an extended run in a cup competition Derry has enjoyed memorable success.
The Candy Stripes last won the FAI Cup with an emphatic 4-0 win over Shelbourne under Ruaidhri Higgins in 2022 and were defeated finalists against Drogheda United in 2024.
Under Lynch last year Derry were dumped out of the competition at the third round stage on penalties against Drogheda at Brandywell having dispatched of Treaty United in the second round. However, they’ll be determined to go all the way this season given it’s the club’s only remaining chance of silverware with league title hopes in tatters.
Derry defender Rob Slevin was part of the Galway United team which put Glasnevin club Tolka Rovers out of the cup at the same stage last season in a 2-0 win for the Premier Division outfit last July.
The Dublin side, who progressed to the second round after a 3-0 win over Fairview Rangers, will be just the third visiting team to play on the new state-of-the-art Brandywell hybrid pitch, after Drogheda and Waterford, when they arrive on Foyleside for the cup clash.
The second round ties will be played on the week ending July 19.
Elsewhere in the second round draw, FAI Cup holders Shamrock Rovers will face Cork City in a repeat of last year's FAI Cup final while Finn Harps meet fellow First Division club Bray Wanderers.
The full draw is as follows: Galway United v Crumlin United; Douglas Hall v Castlebar Celtic; Drogheda United v Lucan United; Finn Harps v Bray Wanderers; Ringmahon Rangers v Bohemians; Baldoyle United v Longford Town; St Patrick's Athletic v Wexford; Waterford v Cobh Ramblers; Bangor Celtic v College Corinthians; Janesboro v Sligo Rovers; Athlone Town v Middleton; St Mochta's v Dundalk; Derry City v Tolka Rovers; Shamrock Rovers v Cork City; Treaty United v UCD; Kerry v Shelbourne.