Fairview face an injury crisis

FAIRVIEW Rangers face an injury crisis with their FAI Junior Cup quarter-final clash against Mayo’s Erris United mere days away.
Fairview will host Erris United at the Fairgreen on Sunday (kick-off 2pm), but in the meantime manager Jason Purcell faces a potential nightmare scenario with both first-choice centre-halves, Brian Buckley and Martin Neary, struggling with injury.
But if anyone can guide Fairview through this difficult period it’s Purcell. Purcell won four FAI Junior Cups (1997, 1999, 2003 & 2004) with the ‘View and with another multiple medal winner Jimmy Sheehan helping out the management team have a wealth of experience to draw from - should Fairview Rangers beat Erris United this weekend they will then face the winner of the Bohemians-Ballymun United clash at home in the semi-finals.
Purcell, thanks to a prolonged playing career, has been taught plenty of salutary lessons on the subject of counting chickens and he won’t let his players take Erris United for granted - in the seventh round Erris United, who are based in Carne Nash near Belmullet, beat Kinsale FC away from home while they saw off the challenge of Limerick’s Pike Rovers (3-2) in the sixth.
“I’m hoping to talk to Declan Considine (Pike Rovers manager) during the week and to make contact with the Kinsale manager as well,” Jason Purcell told Leader Sport.
“I’d really like to know more about them. Usually I’d go to have a look at a team, but in Mayo they play summer soccer so I haven’t had a chance to do so. They’re only playing in the FAI and to be honest, with no competitive football, they’ve done exceptionally well to get this far.”
Although Fairview warmed up for this weekend with a 2-1 Lawson Cup win over Granville Rangers on Sunday their form in the Limerick District League has been disappointing. Rangers are well off the pace in the Kilmurry Lodge Premier League, but, in stark contrast, they have excelled in the FAI Junior Cup beating Evergreen (Kilkenny - 4-1), Redcastle (Donegal - 2-0) and Tipperary’s Rock Rovers (3-2) since they entered the open round (last 64).
“We’re playing well in the big games, but locally we’re not and I would be disappointed about that,” admitted Jason Purcell.
“We should be doing much better in the league, but we’re not. The club in general gets excited when the FAI games come along and I think that has a lot to do with the players’ performances. We’ve a good team, but it’s getting them to perform on a regular basis that’s the problem.”
The current Fairview side, featuring the brilliant Colm Heffernan in midfield, the tenacious Christy Doyle up front and a plethora of FAI Junior Cup medal winners in Paul Harmon, Trevor Cosgrove, Ross Cosgrove, Brian Buckley and Robbie Kelleher are already inspiring comparisons with Dermot Finnan’s all-conquering side. But, explains Jason Purcell, this current side is still a long way off scaling those heights and should not be burdened with too much expectation: “I think we were 4/6 favourites before the game against Evergreen (in the last 16) which was just ridiculous. We did win four-one, but we could have been two-nil down at half time. There are no favourites at this stage of a competition like this and there won’t be much between the teams on Sunday.
“Still though I’m really looking forward to the game - this is why I got involved with the team. I wanted to get the club back to this level because I felt it deserved to be there.”
Fairview Rangers became the first Limerick club to win the FAI Junior Cup when they beat Douglas at the Market’s Field in 1965.
The club then won six FAI Cups in eight extraordinary years - 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2004.
No Limerick club has won the FAI Junior Cup since Fairview’s three-nil triumph over Carrick United in the 2004 decider.

Brian McDonnell