FAI Junior Cup Final Preview: Cockhill Celtic favourites as they face Gorey Rangers

t’s Donegal against Wexford in this season’s FAI Junior Cup final, and Cockhill Celtic will face Gorey Rangers on Sunday at Eamonn Deacy Park (Kick-off 2:00 pm).

This means a new name will be on the trophy, and Cockhill Celtic are desperate for a piece of national silverware after they lost the final of the 2022/23 edition of the FAI Intermediate Cup to Rockmount.

The side based in Buncrana were a penalty kick away from beating the defending champions last year at the Showgrounds in Sligo, and now a team stacked with Irish amateur internationals is looking to right a wrong.

The most high-profile name in that group is Leo McColgan, a player who represented the Republic of Ireland Amateurs at the 2023 edition of the Regions Cup.

Cockhill Celtic are heavy favourites to win the game and take the trophy home; their squad is hardened by their loss to Rockmount last term, and they had to book their place in the final by defeating perennial challengers Pike Rovers.

Gorey Rangers spent the season looking to go one better than last year when they lost to St Michael’s AFC in the semi-finals at Ferrycarrig Park.

They are just the third team from Wexford to reach the final, with the others being a New Ross Celtic side that lost the 1994 final to Clonmel Town and the infamous edition of North End United that won the trophy by defeating Pike Rovers on penalties at the Aviva Stadium.

Gorey Rangers will go into the game looking to make it a double after they won the Wexford Football League Premier Division.

The winner of the Junior Cup will be put through to play Glebe North, the FAI Intermediate Cup champions, in the Tom Hand Cup.