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Firhouse Clover captain Darren Forsyth (right) alongside Maynooth University Town's Jake Corrigan at the Aviva Stadium. Bryan Keane/INPHO

'It still hurts. I came to the final that day, I was in the stand thinking what could have been'

Tallaght club Firhouse Clover are aiming for FAI Intermediate Cup glory when they meet Maynooth University Town tomorrow.

FIRHOUSE CLOVER MANAGER Keith Baker recalls being sat next to club captain Darren Forsyth at the 2015 FAI Intermediate Cup final.

The Tallaght-based outfit had just missed out on an appearance at the Aviva Stadium โ€” the first year it was being held there โ€” after suffering a heavy defeat to Crumlin United in the last four.

Martin Loughranโ€™s Crumlin were 4-0 winners over fellow Leinster Senior League side Tolka Rovers that afternoon, with Darrenโ€™s brother Carl featuring for the champions.

Baker, back then on Cloverโ€™s coaching staff, was gutted that they werenโ€™t involved, and he could see Forsyth wanted to be a part of it too.

โ€œIt still hurts,โ€ the Firhouse boss tells The42. โ€œI came to the final that day, I was in the stand watching and thinking what could have been.

โ€œI remember looking at Darren and he said to me โ€˜I want that day outโ€™. Heโ€™s put so much into it and Iโ€™m delighted to get here for people like him.โ€

Fast forward three years and Clover are preparing to meet Maynooth University Town in this yearโ€™s showcase, having beaten Peamount United, Castleview, Leeds (replay), Crumlin and Letterkenny Rovers (replay) en route to the final.

โ€œFrom hearing from the older generation and the lads on the committee, it means everything,โ€ says Baker. โ€œItโ€™s great for the club to get here and itโ€™s massive for the area as well.โ€

Keith Baker and Barry Prendiville Clover boss Keith Baker (left) and opposite number, Barry Prenderville of Maynooth University Town. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

He and his assistant Ed Saul took over from Peter Flood two years ago and just avoided relegation from the LSLโ€™s top Division, Sunday Senior, in their first season.

After overhauling the squad, the aim this term was a top-four finish in the league and while they currently sit fifth, Saturdayโ€™s final has inevitably taken priority.

โ€œAfter the semi-final, we kind of dropped off,โ€ Baker admits. โ€œPeople are saying to me โ€˜Look Keith, itโ€™ll be hard to get the players motivated again after putting in such a good performance against Letterkennyโ€™.

We want our club to be as high as possible and an FAI Intermediate Cup final is the Holy Grail, but we want to finish in the top four in the league. That was our goal at the start of the season.

โ€œWe only stayed up last season by beating UCD away in our second last game. This year, itโ€™s all about pushing on and bringing in new players. Weโ€™ve done that and they have got us here.โ€

Skipper Forsyth has been a driving force up front. The 30-year-old striker began his senior career in the League of Ireland with UCD, before having spells at Shelbourne and Bray Wanderers.

โ€œI loved it at UCD,โ€ Forsyth says. โ€œI got into a couple of Ireland U19 squads and it gave me a lot of belief. Pete Mahon was the manager and there were excellent players, some are still doing well in the League of Ireland like Greg Bolger and Ronan Finn.

โ€œThen there are a couple of others who went away like Gary Dicker and Conor Sammon, and we had experience in Tony McDonnell. It was a great place to play.โ€

Prior to joining Clover, he spent time in Northern Ireland with Glenavon and Warrenpoint Town but, now working as an accountant at Volkswagen Bank, says he has got the work-family-football balance right.

โ€œThere was a lot of commitment involved when I played up north, but that helped me save for a house and stuff like that. Now I can relax a bit more and focus on work, having my home life and enjoying my football.

โ€œI love my job, and Iโ€™m getting married next year so there are a couple things going well at the minute.โ€

Darren and Carl Forsyth Darren Forsyth (left) and brother Carl representing Ireland at the World University Games in 2013. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

He calls sibling Carl a team-mate these days, while Clover can also call on the experience of former FAI Intermediate winners Paddy Brophy and Gerry Bambrick.

โ€œDarren is a smashing lad and my heart went out to him when he got sent off in the first first game againt Letterkenny,โ€ says Baker. โ€œI thought it was very harsh and heโ€™s not that type of player. Iโ€™m a young manager and Darren has helped me out so much in my career.

Paddy, Carl and Bambo have won it before, and I think they will play a massive part on the day โ€” helping out the younger lads we have in the dressing room.โ€

They met Saturdayโ€™s opponents Maynooth in the Metropolitan Cup back in November, and handed the Senior 1A outfit a 5-1 beating. However, Baker believes it will be a different game this time around.

โ€œTheyโ€™ve had as hard a run as ourselves and played a lot of away games,โ€ he adds. โ€œWeโ€™ve watched them a couple of times, and they were very good beating Everton. You donโ€™t get to an Intermediate Cup final if youโ€™re not a good side.

โ€œWe know they will have a lot of players who didnโ€™t play against us last time but weโ€™ll have several who missed that game ourselves. Either way, we wonโ€™t be underestimating them at all.โ€

Both Baker and his number two are members of Shamrock Rovers, and they are hopeful that Hoops supporters get behind the club on what is sure to be a great occasion for the community.

โ€œWeโ€™re obviously a Tallaght-based club and we wear the same colours of green and white hoops as Rovers! Weโ€™re trying our best to get as many people out as possible. I think weโ€™ll have a big crowd and hopefully they can spur us on.โ€

2018 FAI Intermediate Cup final โ€” Firhouse Clover v Maynooth University Town, Saturday, 12 May (5pm), Aviva Stadium

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    Mute Clare
    Favourite Clare
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    Aug 10th 2011, 2:37 PM

    Great piece Niall, but there are a couple of other points here.

    If, for example, Kenny Egan was to travel to Baku, he could qualify for the Olympics, and would do so in the same weight division as Joe Ward. As a country can only enter one fighter in any weight class, as far as Iโ€™m aware, Ward could then not even compete in Istanbul and his Olympic dreams would be dashed, even though he is European Champion. This is the same for any of our โ€˜starsโ€™ who miss out.

    Also, if IABA were to send Ward and Moylette, the European champions would be seeded and thus get an easier draw. If they send other boxers in the same weight classes, that seeding is lost.

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    Mute Niall Kelly
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    Aug 10th 2011, 3:00 PM

    Thanks for the comments Gavin.

    I see Kenny has declared that heโ€™s stepping up to Heavyweight for this weekโ€™s competition, which was presumably decided in order to avoid the clash with Ward that you mentioned. Itโ€™ll be interesting to see how it all plays out over the next week.

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