Bermingham warns Pat’s need to keep it tight in EA Sports Cup Final

By Stephen Leonard

A SOLID defence and adequate supply to striker Christy Fagan are key to seeing St Patrick’s Athletic take the final step on the road to the 2016 EA Sports Cup this Saturday accord-ing to Saints defender Ian Bermingham.

Standing in the way of back-to-back title wins in this competition for Liam Buckley’s team is a Limerick outfit that cruised to the First Division title unbeaten and with six games to spare.

In the EA Sports Cup the Blues have accounted for the likes of Derry City, Galway United, Wexford Youths and Cobh Ramblers.

Yet while they have been the top team in the second tier of Irish club soccer, Limerick have been undone once this year by, none other than Pat’s when they met in FAI Cup competition only last month.

That said, Bermingham knows the Dubliners, who have despatched Dundalk, Bray and Shamrock Rovers en route to this year’s decider, will have to be at their best, particularly defensively, if they are to come through another test against the Blues.

“I think we need to be really defensively compact and not get caught for openings” Bermingham told The Echo.

“We’ve got to keep it tight and not give away silly goals like we did against Bray and Cobh.

“Then we have to move the ball quickly through midfield and try and get it into Christy. If we can create chances for him, he’ll finish them.

“He’s the best striker in the league. His all-round game is just great sowe have to make sure we can get the ball up to him.”

Looking back on Pat’s last encounter with Limerick he added “We know them now and know what they’re about, but it’s going to be tough.

“They did dominate the ball at times in our last match, but they didn’t trouble us too much and we got the two goals against them.

“But this is a cup final and hopefully the good Pat’s show up andnot the inconsistent Pat’s that we’ve been in the league this season” he said.

In their four outings since their win over Limerick last month, Pat’s have managed just one win- that a 3-2 triumph over Cobh Ramblers in the FAI Cup quarter finals on Saturday which they very well almost let slip.

“We were cruising up to halftime on Saturday and were 3-0 up [against Cobh] and then allowed them back into it with two goals” recalled Bermingham

“They could have snuck a draw and we were disappointed with our second half performance” he said.

Now they will be facing off against a Limerick outfit eager to avenge that blemish against Pat’s and subsequently make it a double this season.

What’s more, just as was the case last season’s EA Sports Cup decider against Galway, Pat’s will have to travel to the home of their opponents for this year’s showpiece.

“We had hoped to be playing this match in Richmond Park” said Bermingham.

“We were away for the final against Galway last season and we’re away for this one, so that’s disa-ppointing.

“But we’ll be going there confident that we can get the win and take the cup” he insisted.

On another note St Pat’s have been drawn to face Cork City at home in the FAI Cup semi finals on Sunday, October 2.